Idris Elba, aka the speed demon?

Photo courtesy of the Discovery Channel
Photo courtesy of the Discovery Channel

Perhaps taking the title of “Renaissance man” to an entirely different level, actor/musician/celebrity DJ Idris Elba can now add British land speed record holder to his list of accomplishments.


The 42-year-old actor who came to fame as Stringer Bell in the acclaimed HBO series, “The Wire,” was in the middle of shooting a series for the Discovery Channel tited “Idris Elba: No Limits” on a beach in Wales when he set a new record for what’s known as the “flying mile.”


The “flying mile” is the speed of a car as it is timed while racing between two points exactly one mile apart.

Elba got behind the wheel of a Bentley Continental GT Speed and averaged 180.4 miles per hour with a top speed of 186.4 miles per hour to break the previous record of 174.2 miles per hour that had stood since 1927.


“Idris Elba: No Limits” is set to debut on the Discovery Channel in July.

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