Your average VW Beetle is not going to come anywhere close to this specially modified one that clocked 320km/h on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. That makes this the world’s fastest Beetle.
Volkswagen contracted THR Manufacturing of Santa Paula, California, to rebuild the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and fit it with new turbochargers, pistons, cams, connecting rods, and headers, to produce over just 400 kW and some 571 Nm. That’s well more than double what the engine produces in stock form.
VW also lowered the suspension, replaced the rolling stock with special wheels and tires, installed a limited-slip differential, stripped the interior, and fitted a roll cage, racing seat with harness, fire suppression system, and a pair of parachutes.
In 1965, a man called Sy Symonds ‘drove’ the first two-wheel drive vehicle up the infamous Sani Pass. It was a VW Beetle. Now 60 years later, we decided to follow in Sy’s tracks in the latest two-wheel drive Beetle Dune. We certainly didn’t race it up Sani at speeds in any way comparable to the above… get a copy of our October magazine and read all about it.