The whole reason Volkswagen flew me out to the Bonneville Salt Flats was so I could, ideally, witness their specially-prepped 2019 Jetta beat the speed record for the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) Blown Gas Coupe (G/BGC) class record of 208.472 mph. They did, making an impressive 210.16 mph—but they…
“The salt is good this year.” Seems like the kind of small talk you’d hear as expository in a sci-fi film, which is exacerbated by the fact that I’m standing on what looks like the face of an alien planet. Bonneville is its own small world, a microcosm of hot rods, motorcycles and burning nitromethane. For one week…
A couple of months ago Volkswagen announced that it would be bringing a new Jetta sedan to Bonneville Speed Week to contest the 2-liter Blown Gas Coupe category record. That record currently stands at 208.472 MPH, and Volkswagen seemed reasonably confident that they could come home with that record in their name.…
In 1960, racer Mickey Thompson brought the Challenger I to the Bonneville Salt Flats and set a one-time speed of 406.60 mph, making him the first American racer to break the 400 mph barrier. This weekend at the same place, his son Danny Thompson—in Challenger II, another car his father built—set an astounding new…
It took automakers until the 1980s to crack the magic 200 mile per hour barrier in a production car, but hot rodders had been toying with the over-200 arena for quite a while prior. If you’ve ever wanted to get out on the salt flats and figure out what it takes to run crazy fast speeds, this is your ready-made…
It’s a rite of passage for every car enthusiast to experience the sheer thrill of going full throttle in the land that time forgot, also known as the Bonneville salt flats. However, since most of us have things called jobs and responsibilities, we’ll have to live vicariously through the antics of one quirky automotive…
Rubber bands have long been known to be one of the cheapest, most accessible ways to transform potential energy into kinetic energy. You probably have some within two feet of you right now. Incredibly, a number of years ago, a fast loon named Ron Main built the biggest rubber band-powered car ever and took it to the…
The Triumph Castrol Rocket is a “motorcycle” that really looks more like a spaceship. The team’s out in Bonneville chasing speed records, and the most incredible thing about this run is how calm the bike seems at 233 MPH.
Yes, you read the correctly. The film Outlaws is part American Horror Story, part David Beckham being awesome (and handsome), and part motorcycle movie - and it’s all to get you to buy a $2,000 leather jacket. It’s also likely leaking the new 2016 1,100 cc Triumph Bonneville. Confused? Welcome to the club.
AutoEvolution reports that motorcycle racing legend Guy Martin will pilot their Rocket III Streamliner at the Bonneville Salt Flats, an insane carbon-kevlar racer with two turbo engines making over 1,000 hp, a miniscule cockpit and hand controls made for an airplane.
Danny Thompson is out to realize his father's dreams by running an updated version of the Challenger II streamliner to 450 MPH. During a test last month, he was knocking on the 400 MPH mark when his fire suppression system decided Danny needed a bath.
It might be a million dollar car nowadays, but that doesn't seem to stop Bob Sirna from getting the most out of it. It's all about how you look at it.
(Last year, Jeff Gerner ran a 1992 Audi S4 to a top speed of 242 MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats. He went back this year to go faster. Our friends from QuattroWorld and eGarage were there and saw the whole thing. - T.O.)
The Bonneville Salt Flats are gearhead heaven. Whatever you're driving, you can push it to the limits on the seemingly endless expanse of dry lakebed. Surrounded by distant mountains, driving out there feels like being in an arena.
The Bonneville Salt Flats might be all about going fast in a straight line, but nothing is going to stop this '51 Ford F1 pickup from wringing out its V8 with some salty burnouts.
It's hard to comprehend, but George Poteet and Ron Main's Speed Demon streamliner ran at this year's Bonneville Speed Week with an amazing exit speed of 462.345 MPH.
In 1971, NASCAR banned Chrysler's winged cars, forcing teams like Bobby Isaac's K&K to park their fastest rides. K&K owner Nord Krauskopf decided to take the team's Charger Daytona to Bonneville for one last romp. They'd end up setting 28 world records.
Tonya Harding was the first American woman to nail the triple axel in a figure skating competition, but did you know she's also the first person to establish a land speed record in the Vintage Gas Coup Class? You know Tonya Harding the figure skater-turned-women's boxer. Now meet Tonya Harding the successful vintage…
Yesterday signaled the end of the 2011 Bonneville Speed Week. Once again speed freaks from all over the world made the pilgrimage to the Salt to race vehicles of almost every imaginable variety.
