Monday 5th June 2023

Tesla officially regains EV 'ring record

The Taycan beat the Tesla by a couple of seconds; a Model S Plaid has now taken 10 seconds off its original time...

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There was no way that Tesla was going to allow its Model S Plaid to be second fastest EV around the Nurburgring for long. Especially not with the Porsche Taycan Turbo S just a tantalising couple of seconds ahead. Now, equipped with the recently launched Track Pack, a Model S has apparently been back to the Nordschleife - and returned with a 10-second improvement to its lap time.

Tesla has posted a video of a 7:25.231, a huge improvement on the old 7:35.579 and comfortably ahead of the Porsche’s 7:33.35 as well. (That brake upgrade really is worth a lot!) And now the time has been confirmed on the Nurburgring’s website the latest Plaid is seemingly so far ahead that top-dog status is assured. Until Porsche steps back in the 'ring, of course. 

Even just watching old lap versus new lap reveals some pretty stark differences, which begin with having an actual steering wheel to hold instead of a yoke - that must be worth a second or two in confidence. But this Plaid Track Pack accelerates, brakes and turns with more speed than the old car, so much so that the 10-second gap is believable before the Model S is even at the bottom of the Foxhole. (The old peak speed down there was 227kph; this time it was 254kph.) There’s not a point on the track where this updated car doesn’t seem faster, even if some of the corner speeds look a little down compared to other cars capable of this sort of lap time. Certainly makes up for it down the straights…

As a reminder, the Track Pack unlocks the 200mph potential of the Model S (it clocks 289kph, or 179mph, down Hohe-Acht), as well as fitting forged wheels, carbon ceramic brakes with uprated pads and ‘track-ready’ tyres. Certainly does as advertised! Though the validity of fastest production EV around the ‘ring could be debated until the cows come home (after which we could move on to charging at tracks), it seems clear that Tesla now builds it. Your move, Porsche - bring on that Taycan Turbo GT, eh?

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• Tesla launches Model S Track Pack
• Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio vs. Porsche Taycan 4S

[WCZ]

I watched a lap of the plaid with an experienced ring driver and he said it was pretty horrible to drive because of the weight iirc

[thegreenhell]

Unofficial? It was released on the official Nurburgring channel yesterday as an official record - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sdy5xPUvWk

[BrownEaredDog]

WCZ said:

I watched a lap of the plaid with an experienced ring driver and he said it was pretty horrible to drive because of the weight iirc

Do you have a link? The only experienced ‘Ring driver vids I can find are with Dale Lomas and Misha Charoudin and they are just analyses.

I don’t doubt that it wasn’t the greatest car around the Nordschleife though, it’s something of a chungus and no amount of insane power, suspension tuning or sticky rubber is going to hide that

[Rumblestripe]

I can't help thinking that this 'Ring lap thing is going to end in someone having a very big off.

I get the romance of the place but is it really a good place to be pushing the envelope?

[anonymous-user]

Lad behind the wheel did well, probably quite a handful that.

I wonder when we'll see driverless laps.

[CharverDeeksWorth]

Funkstar De Luxe said:

Lad behind the wheel did well, probably quite a handful that.

I wonder when we'll see driverless laps.

Driverless laps is an interesting one. Let’s have carless laps or just car and driver but no track. Hmmm.

[Steino13]

It not the same track, but is a driverless lap all the same, and fair play to them:

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/the-nio-ep9-just-...

[McRors]

Well done Tesla. However, watching the video, made it seem all rather soulless really. Magnificent engineering etc but sterile all the same. Perhaps I’m wrong.

[Ocho]

Presumably Rimac aren't interested then...?

[David87]

And not available in right-hand drive.

[borat52]

David87 said:

And not available in right-hand drive.

I do wonder if they'll ever be back in RH.

[Hammersia]

Rumblestripe said:

I can't help thinking that this 'Ring lap thing is going to end in someone having a very big off.

I get the romance of the place but is it really a good place to be pushing the envelope?

Never been, but it's the first part of the lap, that downhill left right left right that always looks so narrow and dicey with no run off.

[Pepperpots]

Amazing.

[JJJ.]

Funkstar De Luxe said:

I wonder when we'll see driverless laps.

[Limpet]

Forget the electric bit for a minute, this is ridiculously impressive for what is a big, spacious 5 seat family car with a huge boot.

[Dohnut]

Surely McMurty would wipe the floor here?

[tdm34]

Dohnut said:

Surely McMurty would wipe the floor here?

Now that would be interesting, maybe the first sub 7 minute lap?

[Pepperpots]

Mcmurtry with an extra 'r'

https://mcmurtry.com/speirling/

[Taz1111]

tdm34 said:

Now that would be interesting, maybe the first sub 7 minute lap?

It'd need charging and did you miss the Porsche lap from 2018?

[dinkel]

There's not much scarier than exitting a city surrounded by power crazy and work hungry Tesla drivers.

Please: stop this madness!