By Paul Strauss
The Volkswagen Beetle has always been a fun little car, but it’s never exactly been quick. The first gen Beetle had like 30 hp, and the current gen tops out around 200 hp in it’s most brawny production variant. This bug, on the other hand, has 550 horses out back.
The custom built Beetle LSR recently headed out to the salt flats at Lake Bonneville, Utah, and turned in a record speed of 205.122 mph in one mile – the fastest speed ever recorded in a Beetle.
Incredibly, the engine in this car is just a 2.0-liter turbo-4, but pushes out insane power and torque through ample doses of turbo boost. The car also has special tires and wheels designed for driving on the salt, as well as a roll cage, racing seat and harness, and a pair of brake parachutes to help slow it down.
I’d love to see VW put a 500+hp engine in a production Beetle, but I’m not holding my breath.
Source:: 95 Octane