This is the fastest VW Beetle in the world

The original Volkswagen Beetle was always surprisingly quick, for a diminutive two-door with a sub-100-horsepower engine - 60 mph to 70 mph. The New Beetle, which arrived in the late 1990s, dramatically upped that, to around 130 mph from a modern four-cylinder motor that lived under the front hood and was liquid-cooled, not chilled by air like its grandfather.

But who knew that the Beetle had so much more to give, speed-wise?

On Monday, VW revealed a stunning milestone in a statement:

The Bonneville Salt Flats is a legendary land-speed landscape. The surface is starkly uniform and vast, providing correctly equipped cars with an ideal canvas for painting a legacy in velocity.

It was, of course, no ordinary Beetle.

"The suspension was lowered, special Salt Flat wheels and tires fitted, a limited-slip differential added to aid traction, and the interior was stripped and outfitted with full safety equipment, such as a rollcage, racing seat and harness, and a fire suppression system," VW said in a statement. "Plus, to help slow the car down, the Beetle was fitted with a pair of parachutes."

You won't be able to threaten 200 miles per hour, but you can buy an R-Line Beetle for about $26,000, outfitted with a 210-horsepower engine that will get you to an electronically restricted 130 mph and rocket you from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, according to VW.

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