Škoda has broken two Guinness World Records for ice drifting with its Enyaq iV vRS SUV.

The Škoda Enyaq iV vRS has claimed the title for ‘Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice’

Piloted by motoring journalist Richard Meaden, the brand’s all-electric flagship model has claimed the title for ‘Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice’ record after reaching a distance of 4.568 miles (7.351km) on a frozen lake in Sweden. This beat the previous record of 3.872 miles (6.231km), set in China in 2022.

As revealed in the video footage, Meaden also simultaneously set a record for the ‘Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice (electric car)’.

The British driver kept the car sliding for more than 15 minutes to eclipse the previous record – achieving a top speed of 30.25mph (48.69km/h) and travelling at 19.66mph (31.64km/h) at its slowest point.

But he actually spent a total of 18 hours of drifting across full five days in sub-zero temperatures to achieve the perfect drift.

The record-breaking work was completed in a standard production car, fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels and shod with studded tyres that proved the ideal combination for a controlled slide on the 40cm deep ice surface.

It’s not the first time that Škoda and Meaden have entered the record books. In 2011, they set a new Southern Californian Timing Association (SCTA) Land Speed Record for a 2.0-litre forced induction production car of 227.080mph. The epic achievement was completed at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA in an Octavia vRS – which still holds the record.

Meaden commented: “I’m incredibly proud to be part of a record-breaking team again 12 years on – who would have thought we’d be here drifting an electric car on ice? It shows just how much the automotive world is changing, and how exciting it is too.”

The Enyaq iV vRS SUV arrives with UK customers from early summer 2023.  It’s the second all-electric Škoda to bear the vRS badge and delivers 299hp and 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds from its twin electric motors, while the 82kWh battery gives a WLTP range of 321 miles and can be rapid charged at speeds of up to 135kW via a CCS connector, enabling an 80% charge in some 36 minutes via a 150kW charger.

All Enyaq iV vRS models also come with lowered sports suspension, progressive steering and Drive Mode Select plus exterior styling features such as vRS sports bumpers, gloss black details vRS badging and Škoda’s Crystal Face grille.