Share

Jetta 1.4 hybrid tops 300km/h

BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS - A record-smashing lap by a specially prepared VW Jetta has put the mid-range petrol-electric hybrid car on the list of speed machines.

The car at some point exceeded 300km/h but its overall average top speed of 299km/h at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US state of Utah, was 30km/h faster than the previous record set by a similar Jetta in August 2012.

The vehicle is powered by a 1.4-litre engine turning out 112kW mated to a 20kW electric motor, with combined output being 223kW.

MODIFIED FOR SPEED

The car used in Bonneville is a parallel hybrid, which means the electric motor and petrol engine can work together to drive the car rather than the engine acting solely as a generator to produce electric power.

For the salt-flats runs the standard Jetta was fitted with lowered suspension, low-profile tyres and underwent a number of aerodynamic modifications.

Marc Trahan, quality control chief with VW America,said: "This was a genuinely fascinating project which allowed our engineers to extract the maximum from the complex hybrid components in a short time in order to achieve this record."

The record-breaking car was driven by Carlos Lago, a tester with the US magazine Motor Trend.

Watch the video that shows the modifications done to the car to achieve the speed record:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE