Plucky Finn attempts to drive length of Finland in small digger

Epic 2½-mph quest electrifies Scandinavia

Full tech specs on the digger plus live on-bucket vid feed

For the digger enthusiasts out there - and it seems likely that there are plenty of you - here are full details on Mutanen's trusty mount.

It is an SWE17B manufactured by Hunan Sunward Intelligent Machinery Company Ltd of the Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone in China. It runs on rubber tracks, has standard bucket capacity of 40 litres and "bucket digging force" of 13.1 kiloNewtons. The SWE17B is powered by a Yanmar 3TNV70-SSU diesel able to develop a maximum output of just over 13 horsepower at 2200 rpm.

Mr Mutanen normally works with Sunward's Finnish distributor, and the two firms have generously supported his record-breaking attempt by providing the digger and maintenance support during the trip. They are also "donating a certain amount of money to domestic charity institutions to thank for the supports and kindly attention received from society".

Mutanen's epic digger-borne quest has fired the imagination of his fellow Finns, with more than 87,000 indicating their support and approval on Facebook as of publication.

The plucky Finn has also transformed his chugging SWE17B into a mobile consumer-tech data node with support from various other sponsors. You can track his progress in near real time via Google map at his website; and of course a live streaming camera feed from the vehicle is also available:

This caper will certainly put the British adventurers who last year set out for Timbuctoo* in a flying car firmly in their place. ®

*Insert alternative spelling of your choice.