British actor Idris Elba broke the U.K.’s “flying mile” speed record on Sunday while driving a Bentley on a beach in Wales.
In the “flying mile,” a car’s speed is clocked between two points one mile apart. Instead of starting from a dead stop, the driver can build momentum before being timed, CNN reported.
Mr. Elba’s average over the mile run was 180 mph, but he hit a top speed of 186.4 as he shot past the second marker, CNN reported. The “Avengers” actor broke the nearly 90-year old record, set by Malcolm Campbell in 1927 at 174 mph.
“I’m absolutely elated to have broken the flying mile at Pendine Sands,” Mr. Elba, 42, told the BBC. “It’s an honour to have taken on the challenge and to successfully follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Sir Malcolm Campbell.”
According to Bentley, the car the actor drove was a standard production car and was not modified for the test.
The record run at Pendine Sands was done for a new Discovery Channel series, “Idris Elba: No Limits,” which will air in July, CNN reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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