This text was not translated, because it is originally in English
Now heres something you dont see everyday: Finlands 4-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen setting a speed record on ice…in a Bentley, no less! How fast did he go? 205. 48 mph. And where exactly did this take place? On the frozen Baltic Sea just off the coast of Finland. The particular car he drove was 6. 0-liter all-wheel drive Bentley Continental Supersports convertible, running on biofuel.

Overcoming temperatures as low as minus 30, sudden snow blizzards and dangerous crosswinds, Kankkunens world record was set on a 16. 5-km track made of sea ice some 70-cm-thick. The actual record itself took place on a 1000-meter section, with distance and speed certified by officials from the Finland Traffic Police. His new world record was based on the average of two runs in opposite directions with measured speeds ratified by a representative of The Guinness Book of Records.

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 600 bhp 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.

200 mph came up after 5 km on sheet ice. Then it was just a question of getting everything right in the timing zone and hoping the snow kept away. Theres nothing to beat driving a Bentley at these speeds; the conditions may be perilous but the car responds so well to the slightest adjustment which gives you the confidence to push even harder.

As with the previous record-breaking attempts in a Continental GT the Anglo-Finnish team used a car that was minimally modified but equipped with fully-welded, heavy-duty safety roll-cage, Pirelli winter tires (Pirelli SottoZero II 275/40R-20) and a rear bumper-mounted parachute provided reassurance in case of an emergency. Front and rear spoilers provided optimum high speed stability on the treacherous surface.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentleys new Chairman and Chief Executive, 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 everto bear the famed Winged B emblem.

A limited edition of just 100 examples of this most extreme Bentley will be made and the car will make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1.