British cyclist Neil Campell has broken the speed world record for bicycles after achieving 174.339mph with the help of a slipstream provided by Porsche’s new Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid.
The record was set at the Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, UK on August 17, the same venue where Campell broke the European record with 149mph one year earlier, also behind a Porsche Cayenne.
The German SUV was fitted with a bespoke streamline tail extension, designed by undergraduate students at the Harper Adams University, to support the speed record effort.
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Neil Campell and his specialized bicycle was towed by the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid up until the first timing gate at 150mph, where he released himself from the vehicle and pedaled through the timing beams under his own effort.
Campell kept himself within the envelope of the aerodynamic wake behind the Cayenne, and was able to accelerate up to 174mph and set the new World Record.
“I am thrilled and relieved – it’s an incredible feeling,” said Campbell after the new World Record achievement. “The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is incredible, an absolute beast of a car. I can’t believe how powerful it is. The extra Hybrid power combined with the new aerodynamic cowl from Harper Adams added up to a winning combination – I just had to pedal like mad to keep up!”
The new plug-in hybrid Porsche Cayenne Turbo S features the same powertrain with the range-topping Panamera, meaning a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 paired to an electric motor for a combined 670hp (680PS) and 663lb-ft (900Nm) of torque.
A 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery provides enough energy for the big Cayenne to move under electric power alone for up to 24.8 miles (40km). As you would expect from the colossal power numbers, this Cayenne is capable of a 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.8) and of a 183mph (295km/h) top speed.
