VW has a knack for partnering with California speed shops to make monster top speeders capable of 200 MPH+ and this 2019 Jetta AKA Salt Flats sedan king is no different.
It’s probably now an unofficial rule that Volkswagen will bring a hotted up version of their otherwise sedate sedan to Utah for a top speed run in the name of PR. And it looks like VW have done it again as per Volkswagen in an official press release earlier today (Sept. 18,2018) a stripped and beefed up version of their new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta just broke a land speed record by going 210 MPH and some change at the Bonneville Salt Flats. They’ve also dropped a POV video of the run.
The four-minute video is absolutely amazing to witness just how peaceful and equally as nerve wrenching it is to sit POV in a sedan going at those insane speeds. Under the hood of this particular salt flats speedster is a 1.8L turbocharged engine, an EA888 to be exact, heavily boosted and beefed up to the tune of 600 HP, presumably in the upper 20 percentile of this engine’s limit. Keep in mind that in stock form, that same 1.8T puts out just 170 HP and 184 lb-ft in the current VW Passat.
Built by Bonneville preparation specialists THR Manufacturing, based in Ventura, Calif., the Bonneville Jetta’s record run showcased both the potential performance that the EA888 engine can achieve with modifications, and the all-new Jetta’s exceptionally aerodynamic shape, which yields a drag coefficient of just 0.27. The 2.0-liter direct-injection and turbocharged engine in the Bonneville Jetta was modified for high output with new connecting rods, pistons, valves, camshafts, turbocharger, and exhaust system, but the basic block and crankshaft are stock. On the dyno, the engine achieved an output of 600 horsepower at 8500 rpm.
Volkswagen would’ve done this run earlier in the year at the annual Bonneville Speed Week, but a transmission issue stopped that from happening. With these runs, it’s always better to be safe than sorry given what could happen at those speeds.
This record-breaking 2019 VW Jetta is an absolute beast up to 180 MPH but once the driver shifted into top gear and with the engine churning at its top speed, while it took about 50 seconds to reach 180, it took another 60 seconds to make it the last 30 MPH to 210 MPH. At that point, the digital speedometer was flickering between 209 and 210, an indication that this engine, its aerodynamics, and its gearing are absolutely topped out.
As mentioned, although the current Jetta only has a 1.4T with 147 HP and 184 lb-ft, the eventual Jetta GLI is rumored to have the same engine as this Bonneville speedster.
With enough time, skill, and money, you too can possibly hit 210 MPH in your Jetta.
