A 493HP 2019 VW Jetta Wants To Break The Land Speed Record On Lake Bonneville

Volkswagen has set its sights on yet another record, this time with a tuned Jetta that’s going after the land speed record in the BCG/G class of the Southern California Timing Association.

Scheduled to take place between August 11 and 17 at Lake Bonneville, in Utah, USA, the event will see a specially upgraded Jetta attempt to reach speeds in excess of 208mph (335km/h).

Created by Volkswagen of America in cooperation with THR Manufacturing in Ventura, California, the car is based on the upcoming Jetta GLI and uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that delivers more than 493hp (500PS / 368kW).

That’s a far cry from the stock model that will likely benefit from around 220hp (223PS / 166kW), or about the same as the US-spec Volkswagen Golf GTI.

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The racing model, which is said to have “excellent aerodynamics”, with a Cd value of 0.27, is dressed in a special livery and has specific wheels shod with salt flat rubber made by Goodyear. It sits closer to the ground than the regular Jettas and welcomes a pair of parachutes at the back to help it stop quicker.

Inside, engineers installed a roll cage and a bucket seat with racing harness, while most of the dashboard and central console remains untouched.

If they will indeed succeed breaking the land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats, then this will be Volkswagen’s third important record set this year, after the runs at Pikes Peak and Goodwood.