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Tesla has set a new lap record for a production electric vehicle at the famous Nürburgring circuit in Germany. An all-new Model S Plaid completed the 12.9 mile lap in seven minutes and 30.9 seconds, breaking a 2019 record set by a 12-second Porsche Taycan. The new record was confirmed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Twitter.
According to Musk, the Model S Plaid was “completely unmodified, [and] directly from [the] factory. ”In a follow-up tweet, he said Tesla would take another chance at the Nürburgring using a“ Modified Plaid with added aerodynamic surfaces, carbon brakes and track tires (all of which can be done without Tesla is not in the loop) “.
The significance of this record to Tesla, or any other automaker for that matter, is certainly open to debate. By setting the initial record, Porsche was essentially creating a new category in which to compete. As noted by The edgeSean O’Kane’s motorsport expert in 2019:
Automakers love to brag, and the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife course is one of the main battlegrounds. But over the years, the limits of the track have mostly been explored, so there isn’t so much thin air left for companies wanting to pretend they were the fastest on the 12.9 mile course.
This is not the first time that Tesla has set out to conquer “the green hell”. The company used prototype versions of its Model S Plaid on the famous circuit before its debut as a production model. However, these races were not attempts to break records, as Musk referred to them as opportunities to “review and tune” the Model S Plaid for added safety.
The Model S Plaid is powered by a new three-motor transmission that collectively develops around 1,000 horsepower, and the car can reach a top speed of 200 miles per hour, but only when equipped with certain wheels and tires. that will not be available. until later this year.
But expert auto critics aren’t convinced the Plaid is worth its $ 130,000 price tag. After putting the new Model S through extensive testing, Edmunds concluded that it was just a “marketing exercise designed to draw attention to an aging car.”
The question is, what will Porsche do now? The German automaker is not likely to sit down and allow Tesla to simply steal its invented record without some sort of response. The problem, of course, is that the Taycan just isn’t as fast as the Model S Plaid. Just look at the dashboard.
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