After breaking the Guinness world record for the longest drift with an electric vehicle, Porsche recently sent two factory-spec Taycans to Brands Hatch, where they established 13 new British endurance records in just 13 hours.
The German carmaker is no stranger to the world of endurance racing, becoming one of the most successful manufacturers to compete in this form of motorsport. It won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race a record 19-times and has some fond memories about Brands Hatch as well.
Half of a century ago, a 917 co-driven by Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen managed to win the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) race held at the legendary British track five laps before the competition crossed the checkered flag.
In 1984, the top six cars that finished the same race were all Porsches, with the winning 956 being co-driven by Jan Lammers and Jonathan Palmer.
Photo: Porsche AG
Last year in December, Porsche returned to Brands Hatch to break as many British endurance records as possible.
The idea was brought forward by British motoring journalist Colin Goodwin who approached former race driver and current Porsche GB employee Rob Durrant to see if the company would be willing to help.
Not only was Goodwin’s idea met with positive feedback but the whole event was put together in just a few hours. They selected Brands Hatch as the ideal location, and Durrant made a list of records that they would be aiming for.
The plan was to run a Taycan 4S and a Taycan Turbo S simultaneously, and the drivers selected for the job were Le Mans legend Richard Attwood, former Formula 1 and Brands Hatch owner Jonathan Palmer, 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup GB champion Harry King, and 2020 Cayman Islands Porsche Sprint Challenge GB champion James Dorlin. The professional drivers were joined by the artisans of this event, Rob Durrant and Colin Goodwin.
Photo: Porsche AG
The factory-spec cars donned unique liveries specifically created for this record-setting feat. The 4S received a Salzburg-themed livery to honor the Porsche 917 driven by Attwood that finished third in the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) race in 1970, while the Turbo S was fitted with a Canon-style livery as a tribute to Jonathan Palmer’s 956 that won the same race in 1984.
The record-setting run began at 7 AM in complete darkness and under heavy rain that continued throughout the day. Although the wet track surface proved more than a handful even for experienced racing drivers, the records quickly piled up.
By the end of the event at 8 PM, the Taycan 4S had set records in the category of "electric cars over 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs)", for the time taken from a standing start to cover 50 km, 50 miles, 100 km, 500 km, 500 miles, and 1000 km, in addition to the record for distance covered from a standing start in one hour at 98.192 km.
The Turbo S set records for the time taken from a standing start to cover 200 km, 100 miles, and 200 miles. It also set records for distance covered from a standing start in three hours (252.356 km), six hours (450.065 km), and 12 hours (915.762 km).
Photo: Porsche AG
This record-setting run's success was assured by Porsche’s mobile charging unit that takes full advantage of the Taycan’s 800V electrical system and provides quick charging capabilities.
It took about half an hour for each car’s 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus to be charged from 5% to 85%, a feat that proved crucial for the event's success.
Each of Porsche’s thirteen records was ratified by Motorsport UK, the governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the country.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
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