Some may still remember: In the year 2000 brought VW with the Beetle RSi an incredibly fast Karacho beetle on the road. But now the once brisk beetle was degraded to a lame snail. As part of the “World of Speed”, a specially converted Beetle reached a top speed of 328 km / h on the Bonneville Salt Lake in Utah at a distance of one mile last weekend.
The record-breaking vehicle is a so-called Beetle LSR, which mobilizes a two-liter TSI engine 405 kW / 550 PS and 571 Newtonmeter. A new turbocharger as well as new pistons, camshafts and connecting rods enable the significant increase in performance. For the officially documented record drive on the salt lake, the body of the Beetle was also lowered and a limited slip differential installed. In addition, a roll cage, a racing seat with five-point belt and two brake parachutes ensured more safety.
(Mario Hommen / SP-X)