Porsche Taycan breaks Guinness World Record for longest EV drift

A Porsche Taycan has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest drift by an electric vehicle after travelling 42.171 kilometres (26.2 miles) sideways.

It was driven by Porsche instructor Dennis Retera, who completed 210 laps of a 200-metre drift circle at the Porsche Experience Centre Hockenheimring, Germany.

The record was completed using a rear-wheel-drive Taycan, which is currently only on sale in China. All Taycans on sale in Europe are all-wheel-drive.

The attempt was overseen by a Guinness World Records judge and independent expert Denise Ritzmann, who was European drift champion in 2018 and 2019. Her job was to advise Guinness’s judge if she felt the Taycan was no longer in a drift.

After his record-breaking attempt, Retera said: “When the driving stability programmes are switched off, a powerslide with the electric Porsche is extremely easy, especially of course with this model variant, which is driven exclusively via the rear wheels.

“Sufficient power is always available. The low centre of gravity and the long wheelbase ensure stability. The precise design of the chassis and steering allows for perfect control at all times, even when moving sideways.

Porsche Taycan Record Breaker
Porsche Taycan Record Breaker

“Nevertheless, it was also very tiring for me to keep my concentration high for 210 laps, especially as the irrigated asphalt of the drift circuit does not provide the same grip everywhere. I concentrated on controlling the drift with the steering – this is more efficient than using the accelerator pedal and reduces the risk of spinning.”

The Dutchman held the car consistently sideways for 55 minutes to complete the record.

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