Even here in Arizona, which feels like the surface of the sun most of the year, winter weather is kicking in. It’s a great excuse to wear sweaters and corduroys, drink hot chocolate, and get cozy on the couch and watch Christmas movies. Instead, some dedicated employees of one of England’s prestigious automakers went out into the cold of northern Sweden and set a new “Winter Lap Record” in the Bentley Flying Spur Speed.
The Drivecenter Arena circuit in Fällfors is only 100 miles from the Arctic Circle. The 2.05-mile track was recently covered in 12 inches of ice and snow, which just so happened to be the perfect environment for Bentley‘s attempt at the record. As the company puts it, the record “was inspired by a combination of previous events from Bentley’s history—the two Ice Speed Records captured by Bentley in 2007 and 2011, and the one-hour endurance record set by a Turbo R at Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK in 1986 where 140 mph was averaged around the banked bowl.”
Although Bentley chose the thoroughly modern Flying Spur Speed, which can unleash up to 771 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque from its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8/electric motor combo, it spec’d the sedan in a retro way: just like the Turbo R in Bentley’s Heritage Collection, the Flying Spur Speed was finished in Brooklands Green with yellow pinstripes over a Linen and Cumbrian Green interior with Open Pore Walnut accents. Aside from a set of studded winter tires, it was completely stock.
By carefully and precisely wielding the Flying Spur’s power, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, Bentley Performance Active Chassis with all-wheel steering, and limited-slip differential, Bentley’s driver was able to hit a top speed of 120 mph and lap the circuit in 2:58—the quickest time for any vehicle at the course under winter conditions. Something tells us the steering wheel and driver’s seat heaters were on the whole time.
