Porsche Taycan achieves new Guinness World Records title

12/2/2021

The Taycan has achieved a new Guinness World Records title with racing driver Leh Keen accelerating to 165.1 km/h inside an exhibition hall in New Orleans, Louisiana. In doing so, he set the world record for the fastest speed driven by a vehicle in an enclosed building.

Keen had to start and finish his record attempt at a standstill, all within the space of the building. There could be no run up, no safety net, no open doors and therefore no escape route. For good reasons, therefore, the previous record of 138.4 km/h has stood for seven years. 

Keen required a car that was surefooted in challenging conditions, a vehicle that is one of the fastest accelerating and, crucially, decelerating cars on sale today - one that he had to trust with his life. The car that met these criteria was the all-electric Taycan Turbo S, with all-wheel drive to maximise grip, powerful carbon ceramic brakes and the ability to accelerate to 100 km/h from a standstill in just 2.8 seconds. 

At just over one million square feet, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre in New Orleans, Louisiana, boasts the largest contiguous exhibit hall in the United States, ideal for the distance it provided. However, like many other indoor facilities, the polished concrete surface replicated ice when being driven over at speed.

“I didn’t really appreciate the scale of the record attempt until my first exploratory run. The surface is so unpredictable, so slick, that you have to have complete trust in your car. It truly was like ice – and you’re accelerating flat out, facing a really hard wall at the end. Suddenly, even in a massive space like the one we had, it seems very small,” said Keen after his record attempt. “I could feel the Taycan’s systems figuring it out, working so hard to keep me heading straight – it was such an impressive feat. To accelerate so hard on such an erratic surface was incredible. Not for a moment did a doubt I could do it.”

Watch the video of this breathtaking feat and contact us on 01772 911 911 or email info@porschepreston.co.uk for more information on the Taycan.