VW Jetta sets speed record at Bonneville

Back in June, the fast Volkswagen everybody was talking about was the I.D. Pikes Peak electric racer, as Romain Dumas set a new record time on the famed mountain course using the 680-horsepower beast. But at Pikes Peak, VW also unveiled its Bonneville Salt Flats record attempt car, built out of the humble Jetta sedan.

The THR Manufacturing-built Jetta was aimed at the BGC/C class record, which meant it had to top the speed of 208.472 mph. Today, VW announced that the Jetta is the new record holder, with a speed of 210.16 mph, or 338,15 km/h. The car was driven at the Salt Flats by experienced driver Scott Goetz, who said the Jetta could even go faster if boost was upped. "The car inspired a lot of confidence at very high speeds. I have no doubt that we could go even faster by running some more boost, but we are very happy to have the record, knowing that there is more to come in the car if we need it," said Goetz.

The powertrain on the Jetta is based on VW's 2-liter, turbocharged EA888 direct injection engine, which now produces 600 horsepower at 8,500 rpm. The mechanicals have been noticeably upgraded with new rods, pistons, valves, cams and exhaust, and the turbo is swapped for a more potent one as well, but the block and crank are still stock. But it's not just outright power that gives speed, as the car's low drag coefficient of 0.27 also played a role.

VW's Hinrich J. Woebcken also said that the production Jetta could gain more power. "This record underlines the sporty credentials of our all-new Jetta and also gives a hint at the future of the GLI model, since this car uses a modified version of the GLI's powerful EA888, 2.0-liter TSI engine," said Woebcken.