Luxury Car Sets World Land Speed Record Ta An American automobile recently became the first front wheel drive production car to break the 200 mph mark. (NAPSA)—Recently, an American automaker raced into history when its vehicle becamethefirst front wheel drive production car to break the 200 mph barrier. The record breaking run took place at the historic Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where, appropriately enough, a four door Pontiac Bonneville reached 202.524 mph. One of 355 entries during Speedweek, the Bonneville wasdri- ven by 30-year race veteran, Mike Cook. “Because of the exceptional engineering that already exists in the car, the challenge for me was to learn the nuances of front wheel drive at high speeds,” says Cook. “The feedback was different than any other car I have ever driven. Under normal driving conditions, the 3.8 V-6 engine can go from 0 to 60 mph in seven seconds. We started with a great product, which minimized the modifications.” To preparefor the race, the Bonneville underwent a transformation from a family sedan to a high-speed performance machine at Cook Motorsports in Norco, California. While the Spruce Green Bon- neville kept much of its assemblyline amenities—including the 12disc CD changer, power windows anddoorlocks, cruise control, key- less entry and alarm system—the Bonneville’s supercharged 3.8 liter V-6 engine was re-worked to produce in excess of 600 hp at 6000 rpm. Additional changes to the motor and body made the vehicle safer to operate at such high speeds. According to Bob Kraut, brand manager for Bonneville, the new speed record underscores recently completed performance test results that highlight the Bonneville’s ability for speed. Under strict test conditions, the luxury Bonneville SSEi outperformed the Chrysler 300M and Lincoln LS in acceleration tests. “With our win at the Salt Flats and the recent affirmation of the Bonneville’s acceleration capabilities against our competition, we think we’ve proven that the prestige is in the performance,” says Kraut. For more information visit www.pontiac.com/bonneville.
