Fastest on ice 335.713 km/h!
The new world record for fastest car on ice was achieved by Nokian Tyres, inventor of the winter tire, when test driver Janne Laitinen drove at a speed of 335.713 kilometres per hour (208.602 mph) on the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia in freezing winter weather. Grip and speed like never before were ensured by the new spearhead product for the world’s leading manufacturer of winter tires – the Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta 8 studded tire (255/35R20 97 T XL).
At high speeds, a top-class winter tire needs to have absolute grip, structural durability, and precise handling in order to manage the exceptional performance of a high-powered vehicle. The unique Nokian Tyres Eco Stud 8 technology used on this newest member of the legendary Hakkapeliitta winter tire family ensures balanced lateral and longitudinal grip that can be felt as stable, predictable handling. Both of these are required at extreme speeds on uneven ice as well as during regular overtaking on winter roads.
"Relentless testing at the extreme limits always works to serve the interests of the consumer"
- Relentless testing at the extreme limits always works to serve the interests of the consumer. We wanted to set an extremely tough challenge for the new Hakkapeliitta 8. At extreme speeds, the forces focused on the tires are enormous, as the car travels over 93 metres per second and the studs hit the ice 43 times. As the air resistance increases, we need even more grip to accelerate the car. In addition to grip, handling and stability are also essential, says Matti Morri, Technical Customer Service Manager for Nokian Tyres.
Same place, car and driver as before but now new Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta 8
The car driven in this exceptional test by the company’s own “Iceman” Janne Laitinen, who holds multiple world records, was an Audi RS6. The speed of Nokian Tyres’ own test vehicle reached close to 340 kilometres an hour (211.27 mph) during the record. The new world record was achieved on 9 March near the city of Oulu, on an 12-kilometre (7.5 mile) track created on the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia.
Nokian Tyres and Laitinen, who has worked as a tire testing professional for over twenty-five years, also hold the earlier Guinness World Record for fastest car on ice (March 2011: 331.61 km/h, 206.05 mph) and the record for driving on ice with an electric car (March 2012: 252.06 km/h,156.62 mph).
The Guinness organisation defines specific rules for the world record for driving on ice. The time for the one-kilometre distance is measured in both directions. The world record is an average of these two measurements. The vehicle takes a flying start, and the allowed time to achieve the record is only one hour. The ice must be natural, and it must not be roughened or treated with chemicals. The tires must be commercially available and approved for road use in the country where the record is made.
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