Idris Elba – star of hit TV shows like Luther and The Wire just broke UK’s 90 year old land speed record. Dubbed ‘The Flying Mile’ it was originally set by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1927 in his iconic Napier-Campbell Bluebird. This time the record was set in a Bentley Continental GT Speed piloted by the critically acclaimed actor. Elba hit a speed of 290 kph crossing the previous one by approximately 3 kph.
The Pendine Sands in Wales served as the venue for this historic act in a Crewe-built Bentley Continental GT Speed which was powered by a 6-litre twin-turbo W12 engine which produces 633 bhp and 83.6 kgm of torque. commenting on his victory, Elba said “I’m absolutely elated to have broken the ‘Flying Mile’ at Pendine Sands. It’s an honour to have taken on the challenge, and to successfully follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Sir Malcolm Campbell.” The whole event was filmed as a part of the upcoming four-part Discovery Channel series, Idris Elba:No limits.