Idris Elba: Speed Loving Actor Breaks ‘Flying Mile’ Record In Bentley

Idris Elba has long been known for his need for speed, and now the British actor can add another feather to his racing cap with his new “flying mile” speed record. The Thor actor smashed the 88-ye...
Idris Elba: Speed Loving Actor Breaks ‘Flying Mile’ Record In Bentley
Written by Val Powell
  • Idris Elba has long been known for his need for speed, and now the British actor can add another feather to his racing cap with his new “flying mile” speed record.

    The Thor actor smashed the 88-year-old record that was previously set by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1927 at Pendine Sands, a beach in South Wales that has long been used for record speed runs.

    Elba took the driver’s seat of a Bentley Continental GT Speed on Sunday and hit a top speed of 186.4 miles per hour during his flying mile attempt. His average speed for the run was 180.4 miles per hour, easily eclipsing the 174.2 miles per hour that Sir Campbell clocked.

    In the flying mile, a car’s speed is timed between two points one mile apart from each other. But unlike other races, drivers gunning for the flying mile don’t have to start from a dead stop. The driver is allowed to build speed before going into the timed zone.

    The Bentley that the 42-year-old used was a standard production car that wasn’t modified or enhanced for the challenge, unlike the specially built Napier-Campbell Blue Bird race car that was used by the previous title-holder.

    “I’m absolutely elated to have broken the flying mile at Pendine Sands,” the Mandela actor said. “It’s an honor to have taken on the challenge and to successfully follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Sir Malcolm Campbell.”

    The record run, which was verified by the UK Timing Association, is part of the Discovery Channel series Idris Elba: No Limits which is slated to be released this July.

    The 4-part series is said to be a new extreme racing documentary for the channel which will see the Pacific Rim actor visiting big speed racing competitions and apprenticing under the field’s experts.

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