A minimally-modified Bentley Continental Supersports convertible now holds the new world speed record for a vehicle driven on ice as it ran an average of 330.695kph (205.48mph) on the hazardous frozen waters of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Finland.
Behind the wheel of the 6-liter, 12-cylinder Bentley was Finland's four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen. The world's fastest all-wheel-drive soft-top convertible allowed Kankkunen to shatter his own 2007 world ice speed record of 321.6kph (199.83mph), which he set in a Continental GT at the same location.
"The last time, I narrowly missed the magical 200 mph mark in a Continental GT. When I heard about the Supersports I was determined to go record breaking again with the Bentley Boys. This time, with over 600bhp under the bonnet, a Quickshift transmission and the security of the all-wheel drive system, the Supersports convertible was the perfect car to go for the record," Kankkunen said.
Kankunnen's record-setting run was set over a 1000-meter long measured distance with the speed certified by officials from the Finland Traffic Police. The new world record was based on the average of Kankunnen's two runs in opposite directions with measured speeds ratified by a representative of The Guinness Book of Records.
Like the previous record-breaking Continental GT, Bentley barely modified the Continental Supersports. A fully-welded, heavy-duty safety roll-cage, Pirelli SottoZero winter tires and a rear bumper-mounted parachute were added as a safety precaution while front and rear spoilers provided optimum high speed stability on the slippery and treacherous surface.
To highlight Bentley's environmental commitment to sustainable fuel sources, the car was fuelled with E85 bioethanol instead of petrol. All models in the Continental range are capable of running on petrol/gasoline, E85 bioethanol or any combination of the two.
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