#Finland

Three German automakers have joined forces and acquired Nokia’s HERE mapping division.

Bentley will be returning to the far north of Finland early next year for its Power on Ice driving experience.

After spending three months drowning underwater in a lake, this 1996 Subaru Legacy was fished out and started on its first try after flushing out its system and pouring in some fresh fuel.

Batteries and cold climates often don’t mix well. Anyone who has tried to operate an electric device, like a camera that has been sitting in the cold, will soon find that the batteries have lost their charge.

This sort of issue isn’t catastrophic with a small device, just a little inconvenient. The same can’t be said about a car, which has to work in all climates.

Volvo currently allows select customers to lease the C30 Electric and worked hard to ensure that not only the car will work in cold climates, but also the car can generate heat to make its occupants feel more comfortable.

To prove what its car has achieved, the company staged an event in Finland to show what the C30 Electric can do.

The test started by placing the car in a cold climate chamber, which kept the car at a steady -13 degrees Fahrenheit.

Not only did the cars start, but they were also able to warm up very quickly because of its separately-fueled heating system. The C30 Electric has three heaters, an electric immersion heater, an electric PTC heater, and a fuel operated heater that runs on ethanol.

The testers on hand were very impressed, not only with the way the car drove in icy conditions, but also how quickly the heaters warmed up the car. You can watch the video after the jump:

Race circuits crafted from Finland’s finest snow and ice await the one percent next month as Bentley announces its 2012 Power on Ice Adventure.

Don’t blink – you may miss the action. You’re about to see what could be the fastest car slot race ever and trust us… if you follow it too closely you’re bound to get dizzy.

This eight-track slot car race was set up by a group of Finnish speed fanatics in a place called Autorataharrastajat ry. The video is mesmerizing – you can’t help but watch. There’s some preparation involved, but the video mostly showcases how fast these slot cars can go. If you jump to around the 3:20 mark, you’ll see the guys controlling the cars… and it looks like the cars are going so fast, they can’t keep track of where their racers are.

Watch the blur of slot cars racing by after the jump.

[Source: Youtube via The Sun]

The 2007 Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen is making a comeback to the sport after a two-year break.

What are you doing for your winter vacation this year? We’ve got a great idea – test drive the new Porsche 911 first-hand through extreme conditions in some of the most exotic locales from across the world.

A few weeks ago, Bentley announced that it had set a world speed record on ice in their Continental Supersports. The modified convertible hit 205.48 mph on a Finnish lakebed, which is no trifling speed. Now, obscure tire manufacturer Nokian has announced that they have bested that record by one mph, with their own special tires—in an Audi, no less.

In Finland, rally champion Juha Kankkunen has cracked the 200-mph barrier on ice in a Bentley Supersports, setting a new world speed record on ice.

Atop the frozen Baltic Sea at temperatures of minus 30 degrees, he drove the AWD, W12-engined, biofuel-powered Bentley Continental Supersports convertible to a record 205.48 mph, which bested his own previous world record of 199.83 mph set at the same location in 2007.

“The last time, I narrowly missed the magical 200 mph mark in a Continental GT,” he said. “When I heard about the Supersports I was determined to go record breaking again with the Bentley Boys.”

One of the goals of the British/Finnish team was to keep the car as stock as possible: modifications included a roll cage, low-resistance Pirelli winter tires, front and rear spoilers, and a bumper-mounted parachute. Juha Kankkunen fought crosswinds and sudden blizzards on the 10-mile track, atop 27 inches of ice, to complete two runs in opposite directions. The speed was verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Of course, Kankkunen is no stranger to racing in extreme conditions. Since he started rallying in 1978, he has over 23 World Rally victories under his belt, been crowned World Champion four times, and won the Dakar Rally outright in 1988. Finland breeds rally champions, so the saying goes, and off the coast of Finland Kankkunen seemed within his element.

Bentley is planning a limited edition 100-car run of the Supersports to reflect this achievement, in case well-heeled buyers want to tackle the record on their own.

Hit the jump to read the official press release.

What could be better than your readers being involved in a groundbreaking automotive project? That’s exactly what happened to our friend Ben at Bespoke Ventures, who had a reader named Janne thank him for a post about rear mounted radiators…then attach a few photos.