Nokian breaks the ice speed record with a Audi RS6

The Bentley record set in mid-February did not last long. On that occasion Juha Kankkunen drove a Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible up to 330.695 km/h on the hard, cold ice of Finland. The tyres used were Pirelli SottoZero II.

Last Sunday, 6 March, in the Gulf of Bothnia (Oulu, Finland), an Audi RS6 fitted with winter tyres from the Finnish manufacturer Nokian took the Guinness record away from Bentley and Pirelli. The speed reached, obtained as the average of the top speed on the outward and return runs over the same 1-kilometre stretch, was 331.610 km/h. The vehicle’s driver, Janne Laitinen, thus beat the previous mark by less than 1 km/h.

The full specification of the tyres used is as follows: Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 255/35R20 97 T XL. These are studded tyres.

At this point reaching 331 km/h may not seem like much of a feat, but one must keep in mind the type of surface on which this figure was achieved. A brief moment of doubt on the ice or a slight turn of the steering wheel in the wrong direction is very likely to lead to unpleasant situations. What Nokian has done is commendable, although I don’t see much use for it.