Porsche sets a new indoor land speed record

Even when circumstances mean that being indoors is the safe and, at times, unexciting option, racer Leh Keen recently found a way to make being indoors considerably less boring.

The Guinness World Records title for the fastest speed by a vehicle indoors, until recently, stood at 134km/h. The rules - strictly enforced by Guinness World Records - are daunting. Keen had to start his record attempt and finish it at a standstill, all within the space of the building - there could be no run up, no safety net and no doors open and therefore no escape route. For good reasons, therefore, the record has stood for seven years.

Nevertheless, Keen proceeded enthusiastically with his planning. He required a car that was surefooted in challenging conditions, a vehicle that's among the hardest accelerating and, just as important, hardest decelerating cars on sale today in order to safely break the record safely.

The car that met this criteria was the Taycan Turbo S, possessing a maximum of 740bhp, with four-wheel drive to maximise grip, powerful carbon ceramic brakes and the ability to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 2.8 seconds.

Selecting the right building was just as challenging. Enter the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. At just over 92,903m², the convention centre boasts the largest contiguous exhibit hall in the U.S.A, ideal for the distance it provided. However, like many other indoor facilities, the polished concrete surface replicated ice when being driven over at speed.

Keen's strategy was to build up speed slowly, with low speed exploratory runs. The stock street tyres were preheated as a precaution. And, when it came to the record attempt, one run was all it took.

"I did take a moment on the starting line - knowing I was going to have to go as fast as I could, and stop again, all before reaching the wall I was facing. It got my attention. I used the car's launch control and the Taycan just hooked up - the sensation of speed indoors, even in such a big space, is enormous - that wall rushed up fast. I was gentle on the brakes in the end - the Taycan's brakes were more than up to the job. Of course, I didn't look down at my speed so it came as a surprise and a relief that I had beaten the record, and by such a margin. It was a rush! I'm thankful for Porsche for trusting my abilities and for their preparations and encouragement - 165km/h inside a building. What was I thinking?"

The Guinness World Records title for the fastest speed achieved by a vehicle indoors was confirmed by independent adjudicators as 165km/h - set by Leh Keen at the New Orleans Convention Centre in a Porsche Taycan Turbo S.