In an act of automotive pride, Bentley has brought the very car used by Juha Kankkunen to set the world speed record on sheet ice to the Geneva Motor Show. Despite the fact that it was used just two weeks ago for its breathtaking 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h) feat, it hasn’t lost the luster and circumstance that comes with the prestigious Bentley badge.
The world’s fastest soft top enabled Finland’s four-time world rally champion to shatter his own 2007 world ice speed record of 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) set in the Continental GT at the same location, on the hazardous frozen waters of the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland.
Together with his seasoned team of engineers, Kankkunen overcame the challenges of temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees, sudden snow blizzards and potentially dangerous crosswinds on the 16.5 km (10.25 mile) track on a 70cm-thick (26 inches) layer of sea ice.
“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.
“The ice speed record is an amazing feat by Juha Kankkunen, whose skill and courage in extreme conditions truly make him one of the modern-day Bentley Boys. We will be celebrating this achievement with a very special ‘extreme’ Bentley, which will be the most powerful model ever to bear the famed Winged B emblem,” stated Wolfgang Durheimer, Bentley’s new Chairman and Chief Executive.
The world’s fastest soft top enabled Finland’s four-time world rally champion to shatter his own 2007 world ice speed record of 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) set in the Continental GT at the same location, on the hazardous frozen waters of the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland.
Together with his seasoned team of engineers, Kankkunen overcame the challenges of temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees, sudden snow blizzards and potentially dangerous crosswinds on the 16.5 km (10.25 mile) track on a 70cm-thick (26 inches) layer of sea ice.
“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.
“The ice speed record is an amazing feat by Juha Kankkunen, whose skill and courage in extreme conditions truly make him one of the modern-day Bentley Boys. We will be celebrating this achievement with a very special ‘extreme’ Bentley, which will be the most powerful model ever to bear the famed Winged B emblem,” stated Wolfgang Durheimer, Bentley’s new Chairman and Chief Executive.