Idris Elba: Fast And Furious

British heartthrob Idris Elba has the need for speed. While Elba isn’t auditioning for the Fast and Furious, he is considering traveling at warp speed on the USS Enterprise as a swarthy Vulcan-like humanoid.

Simon Pegg, co-writer of the next Star Trek film’s script, tells MTV, “Idris is an extraordinary actor and we’re trying to write him a kicka** role.”

Not to be outdone by his fictional life on the big and small screens, Idris Elba proves that his real life is just as thrilling. Idris, the star of Luther, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Wire, and a long list of movies, broke an 88-year old United Kingdom “Flying Mile” speed record on Sunday.

The “Flying Mile” is a timed one-mile drive, which Idris Elba completed on the smooth, hard-packed sands of a beach in southern Wales. The open space on the beach has been historically used for record speed runs.

Driving a Bentley Continental GT Speed, despite some challenging tidal conditions on the beach, Elba hit a top speed of 186 miles per hour and averaged 180 miles per hour over the full mile, decimating the previous record of 174 miles per hour, which had been driven by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1927, in his legendary custom-built Napier-Campbell Blue Bird.

“I’m absolutely elated to have broken the ‘Flying Mile’ at Pendine Sands,” he said. “It’s an honor to have taken on the challenge, and to successfully follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Sir Malcolm Campbell.”

Sharing the spotlight with the Bentley Continental GT Speed, award-winning actor Idris Elba broke the nearly nine-decade old record as part of his Discovery Channel docu-series, Idris Elba: No Limits, which is scheduled to air sometime in July. Filming started on the four-part series in Monte Carlo and the docu-series will follow Elba as he races around world. Some of the challenges will include powerboating and aerobatic flying.

Considering Elba’s penchant for high speed action, a super spy role isn’t so far-fetched. There had been a lot of online talk about Elba being cast as the first black James Bond. At London’s British Institute last month, Idris Elba put the rumors to rest, confirming that talks with Bond producers “never happened.”

“Honestly, it’s a rumor that’s really starting to eat itself,” the 42-year-old actor said. “If there was ever any chance of me getting Bond, it’s gone.”

With numerous projects on Elba’s plate, including the upcoming action-packed docu-series, Idris Elba: No Limits, fans have plenty to anticipate from Idris.

[image source: Discovery Channel]