7 Fastest Elevators

Six of the world's 10 fastest elevators are located in the booming economic hubs of Asia, with all but one of them built since 1993. Most are part of skyscrapers, designed to move busy people in a hurry. Modern pressure control systems ensure passengers arrive with minimal stomach churning or ear popping.

Call it the Elevator Index. If you want to know where the world's hottest economies are, skip the GDP reports, employment statistics and consumer spending trends. All you need to do is answer one question: Where are the fastest elevators?

The world's two fastest elevators, located in the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan, carry people from the ground to the top (101st floor) in 39 seconds, at an ear-popping 1,010 meters per minute, a speed one third faster than the previous record, according to engineer Roland Piquepaille. Not only are the cars fitted with pressure control systems, they're streamlined to cut down on whistling noise and vibration.

Asia's Fastest Elevators are:
1. Petronas Towers, Malaysia
2. Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai, China
3. Freshwater Place, Melbourne, Australia
4. Sunshine 60, Tokyo, Japan
5. Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates
6. Yokohama Landmark Tower, Yokohama, Japan
7. Taipei 101, Taiwan

Check out World's 10 Fastest Elevators .