What's this then?
This is a very special Volkswagen Jetta; the new Jetta that's not (unfortunately) coming to the UK. It's been specially re-engineered to go for a production-based land speed record on the legendary Bonneville salt flats in Utah, later this month.
To do that, the Jetta will have to accelerate to a top speed of more than 208mph, so VW has taken out the standard 150hp 1.4-litre turbo engine and instead stuck in a Golf R's 2.0-litre TSI unit, tweaked up to deliver 500hp. Almost all of the interior has also been binned, leaving just a bucket seat, a roll cage, a harness and basic instruments and controls. There's also a pair of braking parachutes out the back, along with special wheels and tyres to cope with the unique demands of the Bonneville surface.
Hinrich J. Woebcken, President and CEO of Volkswagen of America: "With this attempt at the record we want to underline the sporting potential of the new Jetta and inspire our customers with the more powerful Jetta GLI."
Neil Briscoe - 8 Aug 2018