Once you remember that Finnish rally star Juha Kankkunen set a world ice-driving speed record in 2007 at the wheel of a Bentley Continental GT, the concept makes a bit more sense. For the fourth year running, Bentley will offer its Power on Ice driving experience, a driving school that seems more suited to Subaru or Volvo.
Participants are trained by a select team of ice-driving experts headed by Kankkunen himself, then whisked off to a frozen lake in Finland, barely sixty kilometers from the Arctic Circle, where 560-horsepower Continental-series Bentleys await. A Finnish lake at -30 degrees is probably the surest way to put those new skills to the test, and don't forget, the Bentley Continentals are all-wheel drive vehicles.
Since this is Bentley we're talking about, the accommodations are also first-class. The three-day program is limited to small groups, and Bentley has constructed a "holiday village" in Ruka, Finland, for the purpose of this event. With a boutique hotel and a number of chalets, guests of the Power on Ice program will have access to gourmet food, snowmobile and dogsled trips, and food prepared by renowned Finnish chef Jarmi Pitkänen.
Obviously, spots are limited. The program will take place between February 16 and March 10, 2009, and will cost between 7,590 and 8,990 euros. Check out www.bentleydriving.com/poweronice for more details and registration information.
Bentley - Power on Ice
Bentley will host an extraordinary driving experience in February and March 2009 ...with the remote snowscape of Finland as a backdrop.
Harnessing the power of 560 horses on a surface of pure ice. It may seem like a contradiction in terms, but in actual fact these two elements form the basis of a truly unique driving experience. The British luxury car manufacturer Bentley is offering its customers and any other interested parties the trip of a lifetime in the far north of Europe. And not for nothing has it dubbed the event 'Power on Ice'.
The Bentleys awaiting the participants in this driving extravaganza will be 560-610 hp cars from the Continental series. After receiving a briefing from accomplished instructors the drivers will take to the road across a frozen lake in the centre of Finland. Temperatures as low as -30 degrees are no rarity in the region, yet they also help ensure that the ice presents a perfect surface on which to drive. The motoring conditions at this location a mere 60 km from the Arctic Circle are no less unique than the programme itself.
Bentley will be using the skills of the team around Finnish rally star Juha Kankkunen. Kankkunen has notched up countless wins in his rally-driving career, among them four world titles. In March 2007 he also set a new world speed record for driving on ice - using a Bentley Continental GT on a frozen bay off the coast of Finland. In his native Finland Kankkunen enjoys a status akin to that of a national hero and there can be few others who can claim better knowledge of the demands placed on ice-road drivers at this site.
Quite apart from the thrilling hours spent at the wheel of a Bentley guests can expect first-class service in specially designed accommodation. In the small town on Ruka, approx. 800 km north of Helsinki, Bentley is creating its own private holiday village consisting of a small boutique hotel and a number of exclusive chalets. Guests will enjoy all modern conveniences, with staff on hand around the clock. Food will be prepared by renowned Finnish chef Jarmi Pitkänen. The programme also features guided snowmobile trips and a dog-sledding excursion, with guests free to try their hand at driving a team themselves.
Places on Bentley's 'Power on Ice' programme are limited as the three-day trips will be for small, tightly-knit groups only. The latest Power on Ice programme is the fourth of its kind and follows successful events held in the winters of 2006, 2007 and 2008. The dates for the upcoming programme fall between 16.2 and 10.3.2009.
The price of this all-inclusive package lies between 7,590 and 8,990 euros. Detailed travel and booking information is available on www.bentleydriving.com/poweronice or from your nearest Bentley partner.
Drifting for rich people!