Zef Eisenberg goes for a new challenge

Monday 25 March 2019

Land speed racer and motorcycle rider Zef Eisenberg and his MADMAX Race Team have got a new target in their sights.

Next weekend Mr Eisenberg will aim to become the first person to achieve a British land speed record on bike and car within a year.

The goal is to hit 200mph in a 1200hp specially-built road-legal Porsche 911 Turbo S on sand.

The attempt will take place at Pendine Sands in South Wales. In May 2018, Mr Eisenberg became the first person to exceed 200mph with a wheel-driven vehicle at the famous speed track by reaching 201.572mph on his supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa.

"I'm well known for setting records on bikes, so people started asking me why not cars?" said Mr Eisenberg.

After researching what would be needed to top 200mph on sand in a car, he settled on a 2015 550hp Porsche 911 Turbo S. However, the factory-made car could only reach 175mph in a mile on tarmac, so the MADMAX race team has had to hand build a bespoke 4.2 litre Porsche motorsport engine.

Pictured: Zef Eisenberg and his team.

The team also did a lot of work to limit wheelspin on the sand and has upgraded the clutch and gearbox and modified the brakes and suspension to allow for different wheels and tyres.

The interior is completely standard though, apart from a full FIA roll cage, competition seats and safety harness.

Mr Eisenberg said: "Weight is actually your friend on the sand. It's about stability - putting enough weight on the tyres to increase traction. Even though we have accidentally made the 140kg lighter than standard, we have no need to strip weight out. The car is actually road legal, so we will drive it from the hotel onto the beach and to the restaurant after, hopefully to celebrate."

For the two-wheeled part of the record, Mr Eisenberg will ride his specially built 350hp supercharged Suzuki MADMAX Hayabusa. The attempt comes 55 years after John Surtees won the Formula One title, becoming the first and only man to win the world championship on two wheels as well as four.

"I've well and truly caught the speed addiction," said Mr Eisenberg. "It's in my blood. Each run itself might only be between 25 and 40 seconds but a new record is just the icing on the cake, after years of research and experimentation. Those who are addicted to speed will understand - it's all about the quest to overcome the challenge and battle the laws of physics."