What is it with Finns and driving?
Seriously. I mean, when they talk, you could be forgiven for thinking that they were slightly slow or recently suffered a massive head injury or something, but put them behind the wheel of a car and they are simply astonishing.
They also appear to be hugely fun people, despite the “blunt force trauma” accented english and comical semi-yodelled native language.
Mika Hakkinen, Marcus Gronholm, Tommi Makinen (and the lesser Timo), Keke Rosberg (and Nico, I guess…), Rauno Aaltonen, JJ Lehto, Mika Salo, Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola, Toni Gardemeister, Markku Alen, Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latvala, Harri Rovenpera, the magnificent Kimi Raikkonen… the list goes on and on. And has a remarkable amount of “K”s in it…
Of course, one of the biggest names on the list is the incredible Juha Kankkunen, four time world champion and 23 times WRC race winner (only the truly remarkable Sebastian Loeb has won more titles). Kankkunen wrestled the mighty Group B rally cars into submission (to win his first title with Peugeot, in the awesome 205 T16, in 1986), then went on to win three more titles in two different marques (two with Lancia in 1987 and 1991, and one for Toyota in 1993) setting a record of four titles for three different manufacturers that stands today.
After driving for Ford, Subaru and Hyundai in the WRC, Kankkunen then turned his attention to breaking records in, of all things, Bentleys.
He set the World Speed Record on ice in 2007 in a Continental GT, he broke that in 2011 in a Continental Supersports, with a speed of 330.695km/h. On ice. Slippery, slippery ice.
Now, if you ever needed another reason to desperately desire a Bentley, you can even be taught to drive quickly, on ice, in a Bentley, in Finland, by Kankkunen…
The “Power on Ice” driving experience features the debut of the brilliant new Flying Spur on the ice around tracks especially designed by Kankkunen.
“The Flying Spur is going to be an excellent addition to the Power on Ice experience and we’re looking forward to showing what it is capable of. There’s going to be something special about driving a luxury car you’d expect to see in Monte Carlo or London across the snow and frozen lakes,” said Kankkunen, in a shining example of MASSIVE understatement that only Finns are capable of.
The Flying Spur will join an array of Bentley Continental GT coupes in Finland and Kankkunen will work with Bentley’s own factory-trained driving experts to offer in-depth tuition designed to allow drivers to broaden their range of driving skills when faced by, according to Bentley, “testing road and weather conditions”.
The “four-day adventure” in Finland also offers guests the chance to unwind in the exclusive and luxurious surroundings of the Ruka Peak resort that is situated just 60km from the edge of the Arctic Circle and offers “some of the finest, unbroken views of Finland’s spectacular winter scenery”. Open fires, saunas, first class local cuisine and flying to and from Helsinki by private jet help to complement the first class experience, according to the press release.
Watch the video. Live in envy.
