Porsche Taycan Breaks Record For Longest EV Drift

If thisshocking videoof a Porsche Taycan parking job gone horrendously wrong is a depiction of hownotto drive the powerful electric sedan, Porsche's latest foray into the Guinness World Records book is exactly the opposite. Yes, the Taycan has officially set the world record for the longest drift with an electric vehicle and, in the process, continued to shatter increasingly dated notions that EVs can't be fun.

The record was set at thePorsche Experience Center(PEC) Hockenheimring with the marathon slide lasting for an insane 55 minutes. Other EVs like the nutty Ford Mustang Mach-E 1400 haveproved their drifting prowess, but the Taycan was all German efficiency rather than muscle car fury.

A distance of 42.171 kilometers (just over 26 miles) was covered at an average speed of just over 28 mph. This isn't the first time that Porsche has claimed a Guinness World Record, having previously done so when a 16-year-old kart driver set the record forthe fastest slalomin a 718 Spyder.

The record-breaking Taycan was driven by Porsche instructor Dennis Retera, who completed 210 laps in total around the 200 meter-long drift circle. Naturally, it was a rear-wheel-drive version of the Taycan that was used.

“当驾驶稳定程序切换off, a powerslide with the electric Porsche is extremely easy," said Retera. "The low center of gravity and the long wheelbase ensure stability."

Despite the admirable dynamic qualities of thePorsche Taycan, Retera admitted that it was an exhausting challenge as the grip levels varied across the irrigated drift circuit, requiring corrections with the steering. He said it was easier to control the drift this way instead of using the accelerator.

Official record judge Joanne Brent from Guinness World Records supervised the event. "We've had some drift records, but with an electric sports car it's something very special for us too," she said.

To ensure that the Taycan completed the drift correctly, yaw rate and GPS sensors were used to document proceedings. The latest achievement adds to the Taycans impressive resume, with the EV already managing a best-in-class Nurburgring-Nordschleife run of seven minutes and 42 seconds.

The achievement is the perfect way to belatedly celebrate the first birthday of the PEC at Hockenheimring, which opened on 13 October 2019. The site includes six driving dynamics areas, a customer experience center, and even an off-road course. It joined other PECs located in cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Shanghai.