If you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie, a new extreme driving experience has emerged which promises endless thrills — ice driving. Taking place on a frozen lake or reservoir, ice driving lets gutsy motorists take the wheel of a high-powered sports car for a couple of hair raising laps around a specially carved ice track.
Requiring expert driving skill and nerves of steel, ice driving is fast becoming one of the most popular driving experiences available — with thousands of drivers determined to prove they’ve got what it takes to drive a car on ice.
Sadly, thanks to our weather, you can’t actually try your hand at ice driving in the UK. Instead you’ve got to go somewhere much colder, where lakes are frozen solid for over half the year.
If you’re tempted to find somewhere to have a go at this extreme driving experience, we’ve put together a shortlist of the best places in the world to try ice driving.
Finland
As mentioned above, Finland really is the crème de la crème of ice driving destinations. It’s believed the sport (and we use that term loosely) was created here, thanks in part to the Finn’s love of all things extreme and a little bonkers. Like Sweden, Finland has a total of five unique ice-driving hotspots, including a forested rally stage used to train race drivers in ice driving techniques.
Sweden
Thanks to its numerous lakes and wintry climate, Sweden is easily one of the best places to go ice driving — second only to Finland, which we’ll get to next. With five different ice driving circuits to choose from, this Scandinavian country is the perfect place to get sideways in a Porsche on top of just a few feet of ice — if you’re brave enough, that is.
France
You won’t always find an ice-driving track in France, but at certain times of year, there’s enough of a frost to build one high in the French Alps. The next time you go on a French skiing trip, why not take a break from the slopes and head to the frozen racetrack — where you can experience a whole different kind of thrill ride.
Mongolia
For an extreme holiday and driving experience why not head to Mongolia, where ice is plentiful and there’s barely anything to crash into. Mongolia experiences some truly extreme weather, so it’s the perfect place to take part in this thrilling driving experience.
Canada
If you’re ever in Canada, it’s well worth travelling to Quebec — and not just for the beautiful scenery. This state is home to Canada’s only ice driving centre, which is basically a frozen reservoir with a mighty fine backdrop. Aside from being able to speed sports cars around on top of the ice, visitors can also learn practical ice driving techniques — handy if the UK ever experiences an extreme cold snap.
Italy
Italy has a long and illustrious history when it comes to performance supercars, and for many drivers this proud motoring heritage is sure to be a big draw. If you’d prefer something a little more adrenaline-pumping than taking a Ferrari for a spin on a standard test track, the country is home to two ice driving centres where you can get sideways in everything from a Lamborghini to a Subaru Impreza.
Whatever your preferred driving surface, be it tarmac, sand or ice, Prestone can help keep your car going no matter how tough the terrain. Each of our products has been put to the test in extreme conditions, so they work for you every day. To find out more, visit the Prestone website.
Images sourced Via Flickr Creative Commons. Credit: Paul Williams, Mike Beaureguard, Doggettx