Watch: Cayenne Turbo Electric goes head-to-head with huge Roc aircraft

Porsche has taken its Cayenne Turbo Electric into one of the most unusual performance tests imaginable, pairing the SUV with Roc, Stratolaunch’s giant aircraft. The experiment was not about racing or publicity stunts alone. It was designed to prove that a powerful, stable car could stay beneath the world’s largest aircraft during takeoff and landing, all while moving at speed.

A theory put to the test

The idea came from Stratolaunch engineers at Mojave Air and Space Port, where Roc is based. Their calculations suggested that the aircraft’s unique shape creates a narrow pocket of calmer air in a very specific position near the landing gear. That meant a vehicle with enough power, grip and precision might be able to hold station underneath Roc as it accelerated down the runway.

The challenge was extreme. Roc has a wingspan of 385 feet and can generate 340,500 pounds of thrust. Built from composites and intended as a platform for spacecraft launches and hypersonic testing, it is also capable of taking off at a maximum weight of 1.3 million pounds. The air disturbed by its six engines makes the area underneath highly turbulent, so staying in the correct position demanded total focus from the driver.

Why Porsche used the Cayenne

Porsche engineers saw the same opportunity and selected the Cayenne Turbo Electric for the job. The SUV’s combination of performance and control made it the right tool for the experiment. In its latest form, the model produces a total of 1,139 bhp, can reach 60 mph in 2.4 seconds and uses active aerodynamics to stay composed at speed. A prototype was sent to Mojave, with endurance racer and former Porsche factory driver Patrick Long behind the wheel.

Long described the run as one of the most demanding moments of his career. “It was probably one of the most focused and intense moments of my life," said Patrick Long, reflecting on the minutes before the first flight. “We believed in the data, and I knew I could rely on the Cayenne and the pilots of Roc – we had a good team. Operating with a fully charged battery, we started slow – I was using minimal power and holding the car exactly where it needed to be, and I knew I had the performance to maintain my position no matter what. The real acceleration occurred once all six engines spooled up. As the speeds shot north of 100 mph, I put it in Boost mode and utilised everything the Cayenne had – keeping right on the landing gear. It was an awesome feeling – the sound from those six engines was overwhelming, and I could feel the turbulence bouncing off the car, but it remained rock solid, even after Roc took off and the engines were pointed down at me and the Cayenne. At that moment I glanced at the speed, which showed somewhere north of 170 mph before I eased off the throttle," he explained.

Two takeoffs, two landings

The exercise went beyond one successful pass. After proving the concept, the team repeated the challenge as Roc landed too. Long timed each run so the Cayenne arrived beneath the aircraft at the right moment, just behind the landing gear as the plane came down.

Stratolaunch chief test pilot Jonathan “Beast" Bearce was equally impressed. “I trusted Patrick and the Cayenne completely to do their job – meaning I just focused on doing mine," said Stratolaunch chief test pilot Jonathan ‘Beast’ Bearce. “I couldn’t see him at all from my position, but watching the footage back, he positioned himself perfectly – that took a lot of guts; I was seriously impressed by Patrick’s composure and how the car handled pressure," he continued.

“Roc is designed to carry up to half a million pounds into the sky, and since we were carrying no payload, our acceleration was pretty impressive for such a large aircraft. Later, I drove the Cayenne with Patrick, and that was the fastest I’ve ever accelerated in a car – I’m not sure we would have known where he’d gone if he had put his foot to the floor! But this was not just about outright speed – it was about absolute precision. And he got it spot on," he added.

By the end of the test, the Cayenne Turbo Electric had completed two takeoffs and two landings beneath Roc without damage. Porsche passengers, including Orlando Bloom, Mat Watson, Shauntel Williams and John McKinney, were along for the ride, making the project as much about teamwork and trust as raw performance.

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