Highlights
- Flying Spur Speed laps the ice-covered Drivecenter Arena in northern Sweden in record time
- 2:58 lap time is the quickest ever recorded in winter conditions
- Drivecenter Arena – just 100 miles from the Arctic Circle – is the most northerly active race track in the world this winter
- 2.05-mile (3.3 km) track lapped with a peak speed of 120 mph despite the track being covered in ice
- Completely standard car, in production spec apart from studded 21” winter tires, to suit the conditions
The Bentley Flying Spur Speed has once again underlined its all-weather credentials, this time by setting a new winter lap record at the world’s most northerly active race circuit. The record was established at the Drivecenter Arena in Fällfors, northern Sweden — a former military airbase located just 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle. With the entire 2.05-mile circuit blanketed in around 12 inches of ice and snow, conditions were among the most challenging imaginable. Even so, the Flying Spur Speed recorded laps comfortably under three minutes, posting a best time of 2:58 — the fastest lap ever achieved at the venue in winter conditions.
Key to the achievement was the car’s variable four-wheel-drive system and rear-wheel steering, which delivered impressive agility and stability on the frozen surface. Despite the longest straight measuring just 450 metres and being covered in sheet ice, the car reached a peak speed of 120 mph during the record run. The challenge drew inspiration from several milestones in Bentley’s history, notably the Ice Speed Records set in 2007 and 2011, as well as the one-hour endurance record achieved by a Turbo R at Millbrook Proving Ground in 1986, where an average speed of 140 mph was maintained on the banked circuit.
While the conditions echoed those of Bentley’s previous ice exploits, the car used for the run — registration Y15 BML — was specified to mirror the Turbo R held in the marque’s Heritage Collection. Finished in Brooklands Green with yellow fine lines, and featuring an interior trimmed in Linen, Cumbrian Green and Open Pore Walnut, the car was configured to mark the Turbo R’s 40th anniversary this year.
Performance in All Conditions
The Flying Spur Speed is a car designed to deliver exceptional driving performance in all conditions, thanks to its Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain and advanced chassis systems. An advanced 600 PS 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is combined with a 190 PS electric motor neatly integrated into the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. In Sport Mode, this powertrain deploys a full 782 PS and 1,000 Nm, with the instant torque of the E-motor complementing the charismatic cross-plane beat of the V8.
In pure EV mode, the E-motor provides 190 PS and 450 Nm of torque, more than enough to keep up with the traffic in most situations, while the 25.9 kWh battery offers up to 47 miles (76 km) of usable electric-only range (on the EU drive cycle). Together, the V8 and E-motor provide the new Flying Spur with a total range of 515 miles (829 km). Full electric mode can be deployed at speeds of up to 87 mph / 140 km/h, with throttle applications of up to 75 per cent.
The Bentley Performance Active Chassis comes as standard with the Flying Spur Speed. Features of the sophisticated new setup include Bentley Dynamic Ride and All-Wheel Steering, along with an electronically controlled Limited Slip Differential, while a new generation of ESC software permits a range of driving styles to be accessed and provides reliable traction in all conditions – though the record was asset with the system completely switched off. With the new car’s rear-biased weight distribution of 48.3 : 51.7, the chassis systems and ESC have a mechanically-optimized platform in which to provide the final refinement. The system uses active torque vectoring front to rear through a center differential, and precision vectoring across each axle using the brakes, to provide exceptional traction in all conditions – vital for a fast lap on snow-covered sheet ice.
Above contents © 2026 Bentley Motors Ltd, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee
