In March, Lamborghini proudly announced that it had set a brand new top speed record on ice. One might be left wondering if there’s anything in it apart from marketing, though.

Beyond making headlines, there are good reasons to set records like this one, especially for an SUV. Set atop the world’s largest fresh water and deepest lake at the Days of Speed on Baikal Ice, the Urus was driven by Russia’s Andrey Leontyev who sees ice-driving as an off-grid test lab.

“Automotive engineers can see how their products behave when pushed to the limit on a surface that is ten times more slippery than asphalt in torrential rain,” Leontyev said. “If you manage to stay in control of a vehicle that’s racing at 300 km/h [186 mph] over natural uneven ice, jumping over bumps with the suspension constantly being pushed to the limit, then driving a car on wet or icy asphalt at 90 km/h [50 mph] doesn’t seem like that big of a deal.”

Read More: Lamborghini Urus Breaks Top Speed Record On Ice At Russia’s Lake Baikal

To be sure, Lamborghini is interested in proving that its new SUV belongs in its storied lineup. Though fast and capable, the brand will always face a degree of skepticism for creating something different than its traditional mid-engined supercars. The automaker’s engineers, though, have convinced Leontyev.

“The Urus’ biggest advantage is its absolute versatility: it is extremely easy and comfortable to operate in any situation while feeling like you’re a strong unit with it,” he stated. “I am certain that even a fairly inexperienced driver could still perform well in this vehicle if they were to step onto the race track.”

But, according to Leontyev, records like these help prove that safety technologies like those on the Urus do not diminish joy, they only make it more accessible.

“Modern car designers and engineers make every effort to ensure that vehicles are as safe as possible, while still letting people really enjoy the experience of driving. And the joy of driving is not something I’m willing to give up.”

Indeed, his passion is clear. His dream was always to set records in extreme conditions and being from Russia, ice was the obvious medium.

“When I saw the frozen Lake Baikal for the first time I immediately realized that it was a perfect track,” he explained. “Records were being set on impeccable-quality asphalt roads and salt lakes around the world, but in Russia we don’t have any of that. Instead, we have a lot of ice.”

Leontyev wasn’t just satisfied with ice racing with friends. He was determined to make his beloved sport something big. So he set about making ice racing more legitimate and in recent years has gotten official FIA recognition. That means that Lake Baikal is a legitimate record-setting arena.

All of which led to the Lamborghini and Leontyev’s 298 km/h (185 mph) top speed record and their 1,000-meter (0.62-mile) record from a standing start, with an average speed of 114 km/h (71 mph).

“I have immense respect for what [Lamborghini] has accomplished: they’ve done something that no one has ever managed to do before, as have I with this record,” Leontyev commented.