While the flying capabilities of the Lynx are quite good, it is not however head and shoulders above the military helicopters in its class in any particular property, such as sideward or rearward speed.
It has one enormous achievement that overshadows this statement, however, and that is the awesome achievement of its high speed world record, where it shattered the previous record by about 20 MPH. The flight to 249 MPH is a unique achievement that has stood for decades and is not likely to be challenged for several years to come. Hats off the theWestland team that performed this tremendous feat! I have a signed print from my friends at Westland commemorating this event hanging on my study wall, the only non-Sikorsky item there, as a tribute.