Don't Mess With This VW Beetle LSR While Race Mode Engaged

It was a bright day of September 12, when a specially tuned Volkswagen Beetle LSR (Land Speed Record) painted in yellow & black created a history at the World of Speed event at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, America, and became the fastest Beetle ever.

Yeah! The Beetle LSR hit the ground with a whopping speed of 334.7 kmph, while the average speed was 330 kmph during the entire drive of one mile. With the new speed record, this small coupe has become the likes of many other sports cars in the world including the brands like Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, BMW.

Powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection 4-cylinder TSI gasoline engine as the old 2014 Turbo R-Line Model had, but this time, the output figures were on a completely higher notch. Instead of the regular 207 hp, the mill was forced to deliver the monstrous power of 543 hp and the peak torque of 573 Nm to the rear wheels. However, the actual power that was produced at the flywheel is more than 600 hp (that we call Brake Horse Power or the ideal power produced by the engine) in combination with the 680 Nm of torque.

To demonstrate its power, Automobile Magazine’s contributing editor, Preston Lerner was behind the wheel. The Beetle LSR was modified by THR manufacturing, Santa Paula, California. Under-hood tweaks of the car include new turbochargers, pistons, camshafts, connecting rods, and head modifications.

"Exceeding 200 mph (321 kmph) in the Beetle LSR was a serious thrill," said Lerner."We had enough power to go even faster if the salt hadn't been so sketchy. But seeing 208 mph (334.7 kph) briefly on the digital readout was an experience I'll never forget."

On the exterior design, Beetle is not the best example of aerodynamics in the German carmaker’s portfolio. Therefore, a lot of insideout changes have been carried-out to experience that so-called thrill.
The suspension get lowered, a specially designed salt track wheels and tyres were fitted, and a limited-slip differential was added to aid traction. Most of the interior was replaced with the safety tools such as a rollcage, racing seat and harness, and a fire suspension system. In order to put a snaffle on this furious mini-machine’s speed, a pair of parachutes were mounted on its back.

While in the course, one must recall that the standard 2014 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo R-Line Model was launched with an EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection TSI engine which was tuned to churn out the maximum power of 210 hp and peak torque of 282 Nm. These figures are capable of thrust the car from a standstill to 100 kmph in a respectable 6.6 seconds, while the top speed was electronically limited up to 209 kmph.
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