Autoblog

The VW Jetta TDI has proven to be quite popular in the short time it's been on sale here in the U.S.: it has put sales of the Tiguan in the cooler and the ones that are available are very hard to get. Now the fairest Jetta of them all has set a Guinness World Record by traversing the lower 48 U.S. states while returning 58.82 mpg thanks to John and Helen Taylor.

The Taylors took 20 days to cover the 9,419 miles in a counter clockwise direction, and this wasn't a hypermiling slow-as-you-can-go affair – they stayed within 5 mph of the speed limit. Their car was completely stock as it consumed just 11 tanks of ultra low sulfur diesel and traveled 853 miles per fill up. With that kind of mileage and handling high up on the fun factor, the Jetta TDI makes an excellent case for itself if you like driving and want to lower your fuel consumption.

VW also recently told us that the go-fast Jetta TDIs in the TDI Cup Series are returning an average of 25 mpg and doing their entire 7-race series on just two tanks of gas, which includes qualifying. If that's true, there's got to be another world record in there somewhere...

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

And the award for Top Speed Achieved by a Production Automobile goes to: Shelby Supercars' Ultimate Aero Twin Turbo. Claiming a stretch of public road in Washington State for the effort, the SSC UATT made two runs in accordance with Guinness Book of World Record rules, one in each direction. The first run clocked 257.11 MPH, the second, return one came in at 254.55 MPH. The average: 255.83 MPH. That bests all challengers -- yes, even the Veyron -- by at least 3 MPH.

For comparison, the SSC's V8 packs 1,183 BHP and 1,094 ft-lbs. as opposed to the Veyron's 16 cylinders, 1,001 HP, and 922 ft-lb. In addition to a bigger punch, the SSC also carries less weight: 2,700 pounds versus the Veyron's 4,162. Much of the Veyron poundage no doubt is attributable to its interior, which is a splendid place to be even when you're not doing 250+. SSC still needs to submit the paperwork and get official certification from Guinness before it's run is, as we say, officially official. Intriguing, though, that of all the names mentioned, the one not broached was the previous holder of the top speed record: the Callaway Sledgehammer.

[Source: Jalopnik]

This came as a bit of a shock to us, but the Bugatti Veyron is not actually the fastest production car in the world according to that authoritative tome of useless and wonderful knowledge, the Guinness Book of World of Records. It seem Bugatti just never got around to scheduling an official high-speed run that could be officially considered by Guinness. In late October, Bugatti plans to rectify that and make an official top speed run at the Ehra Lessien test track near VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The track has an unbroken straight of 9 km (5.6 miles), which should offer ample room to reach the Veyron's "unofficial" top speed of at least 253 mph. Currently the Veyron only holds the record for the Most Powerful Production Car.

If the official fastest production vehicle isn't the Veyron, then what is? The answer is the Koenigsegg CCR, the 806-hp super Swede that has been officially clocked at 245 mph. The Veyron may not be king of the hill for long, however, as the CCX that Autoblogger Frank Filipponio got to pilot can theoretically reach 258 mph.

[Source: Motor Authority]

A team of 21 students from a college in Kuala Lumpur took four minutes to stuff themselves into a lime green 1999 MINI Cooper, waited the 20 seconds it would take, and made it into the Guiness Book of World Records, so they say. What's more is that the team repeated the feat for a TV crew that showed up too late to catch the first time around.

The students said that it was hot and stuffy in there for those agonizing 20 seconds, but that the organizing crew that helped them in their mission was largely to thank for the good communication and efficient stuffing.

The students claimed that they met the Guinness Book requirements that said those participating must be over 4' 11". They have yet to send video footage to Guinness for official proof, but they say that they beat the previous record, set by 18 women in 2000.

[Source: IOL]