Winter Tyre Manufacturer Breaks World Record for Driving on Ice
Nokian Tyres, the inventors of the winter tyre, have set a new world record for the fastest car on ice. Test driver Janne Laitinen reached a speed of 335.718 kilometres per hour (208.602 mph) in the Gulf of Bothnia. The car used in the test was an Audi RS6 fitted with Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 studded tyres which provided the grip and speed required to beat the previous world record.
The record was set on the 9th of March on a 12km ice track outside the city of Oulu. Janne “The Iceman” Laitinen has worked as a tyre testing driver for over 25 years and beat his own record for the fastest car on ice, set in 2011, and the record for driving on ice in an electric car, which managed to reach speeds of 252.06 km/h in March 2012).
The first winter tyre was developed and manufactured by Nokian Tyres in 1934 for Nordic winter conditions. Watch the video of the record-breaking test below: