The World’s First 8 Second VR30

Bobby’s ALPHA 10 Infiniti Q60 Becomes the World’s First VR30 to Make an 8 Second Quarter Mile Pass

At long last, the world’s first VR30 8 second quarter mile pass has been achieved. The honor of this accomplishment belongs to Bobby Hoeppner and the entire AMS Performance team, this achievement is the result of a whole lot of hard work and determination by a whole lot of people. Feats like this don’t happen overnight, below is a bit of insight into how this accomplishment came to be, as well as a lengthy list of modifications done to the car to get to this point.

Since the first 9 second VR30 pass nearly three years ago, the chase for the elusive 8 second pass was on. Nothing worth having comes easy, and the AMS Performance team knows that better than anyone else. What started as a mild Q60 build has snowballed into full-blown record-breaking racecar, complete with a number of custom modifications not often seen on this platform. After an in-depth build process, the stage was set for Bobby’s ALPHA 10 Q60 to make its debut at the 32nd Annual Shootout at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. A few members of the AMS team made the 5 hour trek east from AMS headquarters in Batavia, Illinois to support Bobby in what would be a record-breaking performance.

The weekend started strong for Bobby and the AMS team with a run of 9.66 at 147mph off the trailer. An impressive time for the first pass on a fresh build, but the best was yet to come. Later in the day, Bobby followed up the 9.66 pass with a 9.39 at 151mph! Still getting used to all the setup changes, but a very strong start to what would become a historic weekend for the VR30 platform. With the first day in the books, the team poured over the data to prepare for the next day’s runs.

Saturday got off to an unceremonious start with a premature launch and double upshift which produced a run of 9.48 at 145mph. You know the standards are high when what would been a new platform record coming into the weekend is considered “unceremonious”. A minor hiccup all things considered, the team quickly shifted focus to the next run. As the evening approached, Bobby made his fourth pass of the weekend, with that came a 9.15 at 153mph. A new VR30 overall record, beating the record previously held by  a familiar face, our shop Z dubbed ALPHA Z. A record set earlier this year with a run of 9.23 at 149mph. With this 9.15 pass, Bobby’s ALPHA 10 Q60 became the world’s quickest and fastest VR30, but the best was still yet to come.

One more pass before the end of the night, spirits were high and there was a distinct buzz in the air. After already knocking off more than half a second from the first pass to the fourth pass, the entire team had a good feeling about what was about to happen. The stars aligned and the unthinkable happened, the timing board lit up with 8.98 at 154mph! We did it, the first 8 second VR30! To make the moment even sweeter, Anthony immediately followed up Bobby’s 8 second pass with an 8 second pass of his own in his ALPHA 10 Q50. What better way to end the day’s racing action than by accomplishing a goal years in the making. High fives were had, hugs exchanged, the emotions were palpable. With racing done for the day, the team took the time to savor the moment and revel in the glory of becoming the first to a major milestone.

But the weekend doesn’t end there. Bobby followed up that first 8 second pass to end the previous night, with another 8 second pass to kick off the following day! 8.99 at 153mph. We don’t build one-hit-wonders here at AMS Performance, but rather proven, repeatable record-breakers. Further, this is no one-off build. The ALPHA 10 package for the Infiniti Q50/Q60 is available for those looking to push the limits and get the absolute most out of the VR30 platform. Only available for in-house builds at this time, but if you are interested in an ALPHA 10 build of your own, reach out to the AMS Performance team and we will get you on the road to maximum VR30 performance.

Now back to the action. Fresh off of back-to-back 8 second passes, Bobby was itching for more. A clerical error led to the incorrect index time being recorded, resulting in Bobby breaking out in the first rounds of eliminations. Don’t you hate when your car is just too fast? With the weekend coming to a close, to say the outing was a success would be an understatement. The goal was to test the car after a complete build, which resulted in a number of records and an accomplishment years in the making. All said and done, Bobby’s ALPHA 10 Q60 more than achieved what it set out to do, rolled with the punches and came out on top. A quick stop back at the AMS shop for a post-race health check and back to Bobby to enjoy the build for a long time to come. This won’t be the last time you hear about Bobby’s ALPHA 10 Q60, even quicker times are on the horizon.

Bobby’s ALPHA 10 Q60 By The Numbers

1/4 Mile: 8.98 at 154mph

0-60mph: 1.94s

60-130mph: 4.55s

Horsepower: 1,005whp

Torque: 706lb-ft

Weight: 3,836lbs without driver

See below for a photo gallery of Bobby’s ALPHA 10 Q60 from the 32nd Annual Shootout at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio