07:48 28-07-2026
Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric: four passes beneath the world's largest aircraft at over 170 mph
A Cayenne Turbo Electric passed under Stratolaunch's Roc aircraft four times, hitting over 170 mph in a narrow pocket of calm air between its fuselages.
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric wasn’t supposed to outrun an aircraft — it had to hold position for several minutes inside a narrow aerodynamic pocket between two fuselages. Falling too far behind put the car in the jet blast of six engines; getting too close risked hitting the landing gear. The runs were less a race than a test of precision and stability.
The test took place at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Stratolaunch’s Roc aircraft has a record-setting 385-foot wingspan — roughly 117.3 meters. Its maximum takeoff weight reaches about 590 tons, and its six engines produce a combined 154 tons of thrust.
Stratolaunch engineers calculated that just behind the landing gear but ahead of the tail there’s a small pocket of calm air. It moves along with Roc, so the Porsche driver had to hold precise distance and speed continuously. In total, the Cayenne Turbo Electric passed beneath Roc’s fuselage four times — twice during takeoff and twice during landing — and came through each pass unscathed.
According to Porsche, factory driver Patrick Long said the speedometer showed more than 170 mph — over 274 km/h. A prototype was used, while the production Cayenne Turbo Electric’s top speed is rated at 260 km/h. So the run’s results shouldn’t automatically be read as a new spec for the retail car.
Patrick Long described it this way: “It was probably one of the most focused and intense moments of my life. We believed in the data, and I knew I could rely on the Cayenne and the Roc pilots — we had a good team. We started slowly, with a full battery: I used minimal power and held the car exactly where it needed to be, knowing I had the performance in reserve to keep my position no matter what.
The real acceleration started once all six engines spooled up. Past 100 mph I switched to Boost and used everything the Cayenne had, staying right on the landing gear. The feeling was incredible — the sound from those six engines was overwhelming, and I could feel the turbulence hitting the car, but it stayed completely stable even after Roc lifted off and its engine nozzles pointed straight down at me and the Cayenne. At that moment I glanced at the speed — it showed somewhere north of 170 mph, and then I let off the throttle.”
The Cayenne Turbo Electric makes 857 hp in normal mode, and up to 1,156 hp and 1,500 Nm with Launch Control. It hits 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds. Curb weight reaches 2,645 kg, making it heavier than most supercars, but a low center of gravity and active aerodynamics helped keep it stable.
In Germany the model starts at €165,500 including VAT. A 113 kWh battery delivers up to 624 km on the WLTP cycle, and charging from 10 to 80% at up to 400 kW takes about 16 minutes.
The stunt itself doesn’t prove a heavy EV is safe near any aircraft. Roc’s route, the car’s position and its aerodynamics were all calculated in advance, the test ran on a closed runway, and the driver was a former Porsche factory racer. The demonstration’s practical value is limited to confirming the prototype’s stability at very high speed — everything else belongs to a carefully staged piece of marketing.