Setting world records on ice is proving to be very popular in Finland these days. Bentley set its record last month (205.48 mph or 330.695 km/h) and even created a special edition car to celebrate.

Today, the Finnish tire company Nokian Tyres reports that they have beat that record, although not by much.

The new world record for fastest car on ice was set by their test driver Janne Laitinen who drove 206.05 mph (331.610 km/h) on the Gulf of Bothnia in Oulu, Finland. The record was broken on March 6th on a 9-mile (14-kilometer) ice track in freezing conditions.

The world's leading winter tire manufacturer equipped the record-breaking car - an Audi RS6 Sedan - with Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tires in size 255/35 R20 97 T XL.

Extreme speeds emphasize the role of top-quality tires; they are the vehicle's only contact point with the driving surface. When driving at exceptionally high speeds on slippery ice, the tires must provide maximal grip, excellent structural durability and handling properties that are in line with the car's high power.

The acceleration formula is demanding. When a car moves at a speed of 206 mph (331 km/h), the car covers over 302 feet (92 meters) in one second. The tires are under immense pressure at these high speeds, and their diameter can increase by 0.6-0.8 inches (15-20 mm). As the air resistance increases, more traction is needed in order to pick up speed.

Rules Set by Guinness World Records

The Guinness World Records organization outlines detailed rules for ice driving world records. The time for the one-kilometer distance is taken for driving in both directions of the track, and the world record time is the average of these two results. The vehicle takes a flying start. The ice has to be natural and it may not be roughed up or treated with any chemicals. The tires must be commercially available and approved for road traffic in the country in which the record attempt takes place.

Nokian Tyres: Nordic Specialist

Nokian Tyres developed the world's first winter tire for raw, subzero conditions back in 1934. Two years later, it introduced the Hakkapeliitta, designed for northern winters and today one of the world's best-known winter tire brands. The world's northernmost tire manufacturer tests and develops new additions, customized for different uses, for its winter tire family at its own test facilities in Ivalo, 200 miles (300 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle.

Nokian Tyres is the only tire manufacturer in the world that focuses on products and services that facilitate safe transportation in Nordic conditions. The company's innovative passenger car, van and heavy-duty machinery tires are mainly marketed in areas that have snow, forest and changing seasons that make driving conditions demanding. The company's net sales for 2010 totaled approximately EUR 1,058 million, and it had 3,500 employees.