Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom actor Idris Elba has been rumored to be the next James Bond in the popular franchise, and he could well fill Daniel Craig's shoes with ease if his recent "flying mile" speed record is anything to go by.
On Sunday, May 3, Elba went for a spin in a two-door Bentley Continental GT Speed at a beach in Wales. While he was at it, he broke an 88-year-old UK "flying mile" record.
The "flying mile" is basically the speed of a car that is timed amid two points that are a mile away from each other. Instead of starting at a dead stop, the car's driver is permitted to rev up their vehicle to the desired speed before they enter the timed zone. In an hour, the test is done two times—in opposite directions—to take the wind factor into consideration.
Elba lived up to the moniker King of Speed (he hosted a three-part BBC documentary titled Idris Elba: King of Speed) as he drove the Bentley over the seven-mile stretch of the Pendine Sands beach in Wales. In the early 20th century, the beach was a hotspot for those looking to race two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles at top-notch speeds for record runs.
The sand at Pendine is tightly packed and makes for a good surface with open space. It is still popular for motor sport events.
Driving the Bentley Continental GT Speed, with a 626 horsepower V12 engine, 42-year-old Elba averaged at 180.4 mph during the full mile, hitting the maximum speed of 186.4 mph when he zoomed past the second time.
He broke Malcolm Campbell's record of 174.8 mph set in 1927. Oh, and did we mention that Campbell was driving a specially built race car and not a two-door coupe?!
"I'm absolutely elated to have broken the 'Flying Mile' at Pendine Sands. It's an honor to have taken on the challenge, and to successfully follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Sir Malcolm Campbell," said Elba.
For those wondering, the Bentley was the standard car and had not been modified for the test run. Now, for those contemplating the reason behind Elba's feat, no, it wasn't a sudden adrenaline rush but as part of a shoot for the new four-part series for Discovery Channel titled Idris Elba: No Limits.
Congrats to @idriselba for breaking the Flying Mile yesterday at Pendine Sands. Legend! @BentleyMotors #nolimits pic.twitter.com/1h0bw1tK5y
— Discovery Channel UK (@DiscoveryUK) May 4, 2015
The series is slated to air in July and will showcase Elba undertake a slew of speed challenges.
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