Landracing Forum
Misc Forums => LSR General Chat => Topic started by: 4-barrel Mike on February 15, 2011, 11:16:36 PM
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Bentley Sets Speed Record of 205 mph...On Ice
Published February 15, 2011
| FoxNews.com
A sports car has set a world speed record by traveling 205.48 miles per hour…on ice.
The Bentley Continental Supersports was piloted by 51-year old Juha Kankkunen across the frozen surface of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Finland, which is home to four-time World Rally Champion. In doing so, he broke his own record of 199.83 miles per hour set at the same location in 2007 in a Bentley Continental GT.
(http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Leisure/2009/660/371/1bentley.jpg)
The record-setting Supersports was powered by a 6.0-liter, 12-cylinder engine similar to the 621-horsepower version found in the $280,000 showroom version of the car and running on E85 ethanol-based fuel. The only major modifications made to the all-wheel-drive two-door for the run were the addition of a roll-cage, custom front and rear spoilers for increased aerodynamic stability and a parachute mounted at the rear to help bring the vehicle to a halt on the low-traction surface.
Kankkunen needed to drive the car over 3 miles just to break the 200 mph barrier, maintain the record speed through a timing zone and then stop within the confines of a 7.5 mile course that was plowed out of the snow-covered ice. Officials from the Guiness Book of Records were on hand to verify the feat, which had to be completed in both directions to count as a record.
Interestingly, given the location and temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius, the car used was a convertible, although the top was kept up during the run. A coupe version of the Continental Supersports is also available.
Bentley announced that it will celebrate the achievement by introducing a special edition of the Continental at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show on March 1st. The Volkswagen-owned company said that this “extreme” Bentley will be limited to 100 copies and be the most powerful model it has ever made.
The current Guiness top speed record for a production car is also held by the Volkswagen Group after a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport hit 268 miles per hour on a test track in Germany last year. Customer versions of that car sell for over $2 million.
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/02/15/bentley-sets-speed-record-mphon-ice/ (http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/02/15/bentley-sets-speed-record-mphon-ice/)
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Dodging Ice Houses at 200+?!
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WOW!!!!
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Now That's slick
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Wonder if they had any tire slip. :?
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Not with the wide tires.
DW
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Ouch!!!! Did he just say that!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ :-D
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Not with the wide tires.
DW
Good one :-D
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Were they spiked or studded wide tires?
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Is it Landspeed if you are on ice?!@
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Of course it is a landspeed record ........ because the Americans did it this way back with the Ford 999 outright speed contender on Lake St. Clair in 1904.
Malcolm UK
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Is it Landspeed if you are on ice?!@
Yes,,, the run was on the land (not the air or space) regardless of Surface ... Salt, Snow, Ice, Dirt, Asphalt or Concrete,,, land is land and fast is fast !!!
I also love the Coupe version of that Bentley... my next wish list LOL !!!
Charles
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Great strategy to tap Juha Kankkunen to drive. There's plenty of frozen lakes that host Winter racing in the US so there might be a new career path for retired WRC drivers!
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Hardwater Racing
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Hardwater Racing
That's it
G
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Beautiful car