This Is How a Porsche Taycan Turbo S Broke the Guinness Indoor Land Speed Record

While other manufacturers are busy driving their EVs next to the site of a rocket launch for an entertaining yet pointless ad campaign, the carmaker from Zuffenhausen actually showcases the capabilities of its gorgeous Taycan by setting numerous world records.

It all started last December when a 4S and a Turbo S set 13 British endurance EV records in just as many hours, lapping the famous Brands Hatch circuit located in Kent, England.

But Porsche wasn’t done with the Taycan and had its sights set on 86 mph (138.4 kph) Guinness world record for the fastest speed by a vehicle indoors.

To surpass it, the team had to abide by the strict Guinness guidelines stating that the car has to start from a standstill and finish in the same manner within the confines of an enclosed building. That means no safety nets, no open doors, and no room for errors.

Thus, choosing the right building was critical, and after a long selection process, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans was selected.

Home to one of the largest exhibit halls in the U.S. at just over one million square feet (9.3 hectares), the building was deemed ideal for this attempt. However, that polished concrete surface required a car and a driver capable of excelling in challenging conditions.

Porsche sent its most potent Taycan to Louisiana, the mighty AWD Turbo S equipped with a 751-hp dual-motor powertrain and a 93 kWh Performance Battery Plus pack.

This model is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) in just 2.6 seconds but also does an excellent job of stopping swiftly thanks to its state-of-the-art braking system, which employs carbon-ceramic rotors.

Behind the wheel, the team chose to go with experienced race car driver Lehman ‘Leh’ Keen, the former 2012 American Le Mans Series GTC class champion who has been racing Porsches for most of his professional career.

When first offered the job, Leh was keen to do it, but after the first exploratory run inside the huge convention center, he realized just how difficult this attempt would be.

“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 the driver after his first run.

Even if the team preheated them as a precaution, the stock road tires initially struggled for grip, but after a few more practice runs, Keen got the hang of the car and was ready for the official attempt.

He proceeded to activate the Taycan’s launch control feature and set off accelerating as fast as the car could go, reaching a speed of 102.65 mph (165.20 kph) before safely coming to a halt, setting a new Guinness world record after a single official run.