On June 4th, Gizcoupon reported that a Tesla Model S Plaid equipped with the Track Pack achieved a new record for the fastest lap time by a production electric vehicle at the Nürburgring track in Germany. It surpassed the previous record held by the Porsche Taycan Turbo S by over 8 seconds.
Reportedly, the lap time for this Tesla Model S Plaid with the Track Pack is 7 minutes, 25.231 seconds (7:25.231). It is second only to supercars like the Ferrari Enzo and the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series. The Porsche Taycan Turbo S broke the previous electric vehicle lap record set by the Tesla Model S Plaid one year ago with a time of 7 minutes, 33 seconds. Now, however, Tesla has reclaimed this honor.
The significant improvement in its performance on the Nürburgring track can be attributed not only to the Track Pack but also to a notable detail: the steering wheel. In the full-length video released by Tesla, you can see that the record-breaking Tesla Model S Plaid did not use the original Yoke steering wheel but instead opted for a traditional round steering wheel. This might suggest that Tesla acknowledges the superiority and safety of a circular steering wheel over the Yoke.
The impressive specs of the Tesla Model S Plaid
The Track Pack is an optional package offered by Tesla for the Model S Plaid. It includes forged aluminum Zero-G wheels, track-ready Pirelli Supercar 3R tires, a carbon-ceramic braking system (consisting of carbon-silicon carbide brake discs, monoblock forged calipers, high-performance brake pads, and track-specific brake fluid), among other enhancements. Additionally, the Track Pack unlocks a top speed of 200 mph (approximately 322 km/h) for the Model S Plaid.
The Tesla Model S Plaid is currently one of the fastest-production electric vehicles available on the market. It features three electric motors with a combined output of 1020 horsepower. In addition, the 0-60 mph (approximately 96 km/h) acceleration time is only 1.99 seconds. It also has a range of 390 miles (approximately 628 kilometers). In the Chinese market, the starting price for this vehicle is 1.0289 million Chinese yuan (approximately $145,691).
