World's fastest Beetle!

205mph at Bonneville for VW's latest pet project, still with the 2.0-litre TSI engine too...

Of course land speed records aren't all that relevant. And a 550hp Beetle doesn't make the production car any more interesting to PH. But doing 205mph in anything with four wheels is a laudable achievement, particularly when it's derived from something so patently unsuited to such an endeavour.

Beetle gets attitude!

Similarly to the Skoda Octavia Bonneville car of five years ago, this Beetle uses the 2.0 TSI engine from the road car but with some fairly extensive modifications. So it gets a new (and presumably much larger) turbocharger plus different pistons, cams and con-rods. VW also mentions "cylinder head modifications", which again must be pretty substantial. On top of 550hp, the Beetle is claimed to make 421lb ft. When's the Golf R550 coming?

On top of the engine, modifications to this car include a limited-slip diff, a specially designed wheel/tyre combo for the salt, a rollcage and, of course, a pair of parachutes to slow it down.

This car's official record was set at 328.195 km/h, or 205.122 mph, over a one-mile distance. Which is fairly exceptional. So what will they do next? An Up could be interesting...