AS lap records go, the new benchmark set by Jaguar's XE 300 Sport is pretty novel.

For the special edition sports saloon has become the first car to complete a flying lap of the world's longest artificial outdoor ice circuit in the Netherlands - but it had to beat a winter olympic gold medal winner to set the fastest time.

Hungarian speed skater Shaolin Sándor Liu set a tough benchmark, negotiating the track in four minutes and four seconds, but he was no match for the all-wheel-drive Jag which proved the worth of its sophisticated traction technologies by lapping the track a minute quicker. It's time of three minutes three seconds equating to an average speed of 36mph.

According to Mike Cross, Chief Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover: "Ice is one of the most demanding surfaces for any vehicle to contend with and this race demonstrated the XE's all-surface capability and unrivalled handling in adverse conditions."

The new XE 300 Sport is available to order now priced from £45,160 and is equipped with Jaguar's 300PS two-litre Ingenium petrol engine, which powers the car from 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds.

The 300 Sport package is also available on the XF and XF Sportbrake models but while the XE is fitted exclusively with the two-litre petrol engine, XF versions are also available with Jaguar's 300PS three-litre TDV6 diesel.

All 300 Sport models feature unique dark satin grey details including the door mirror caps, rear spoiler and grille surround, along with 300 Sport badging on the front grille and boot lid. Distinctive 19-inch or 20-inch satin grey finish wheels are exclusive to the special edition along with 300 Sport-branded brake callipers.

Special design accents continue inside with yellow contrast stitching on the steering wheel, seats, door casings and armrest. Jaguar's advanced ten-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard.

Further design enhancements as standard across all three models include metal treadplates with Jaguar script, chrome seat switches for all electric seats, premium carpet mats, bright metal pedals and a frameless auto-dimming mirror.