Tesla Model S Plaid Spotted Again on the Nürburgring, Likely Aiming for New Record

Photo: Motorauthority

Tesla Model S Plaid was spotted on the Nürburgring track. The car was on the racetrack in Germany for the second time, probably to set a new time record.

The red Tesla Model S Plaid was spotted testing the Nürburgring racetrack. In 2019, prototypes of Model S Plaid were already tested there, and now the electric four-door sedan is back, likely to break several records.

First deliveries of Model S Plaid to customers began in early June 2021, so it's likely a production vehicle on the track. Several publications reported that the car was equipped with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tires. The windows of the car are heavily tinted, so it was not possible to examine the interior details. However, the impression was created that there is a roll cage in the cabin, which is common for cars tested on the track.

In 2019, two Model S Plaid prototypes set impressive unofficial records at the Nürburgring. One of them completed a lap at 7:23, which was ahead of the Porsche Taycan Turbo (7:42). Another prototype set a time of 7:13, which is almost 30 seconds faster than the Taycan Turbo's lap time.

In January 2021, Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined Joe Rogan on the JRE Podcast and discussed a variety of topics including Model S Plaid. He said that on the Nürburgring, Tesla is trying to achieve lap times of less than 7 minutes, and believes that with some improvements, they will be able to achieve this. Tesla is now testing Model S Plaid again and if this result is achieved, the car will enter the Top 10 records on the track.

So far, the fastest car to complete the Nürburgring lap is the Lamborghini Aventador LP770-4 SVJ (2018) with a lap time of 06:45.0. However, it's worth noting that it costs more than $500,000 and is not a mass-production car like any other from the Top 10 cars.

Source: Nurburgring lap times

This is exactly what qualitatively distinguishes Model S from any other record holder on the list. Model S is the fastest mass-produced car in the world and achieves top-notch speed test results with only the equipment that comes standard with it. Meanwhile, other cars that are in mass production and perform well on the Nürburgring are usually equipped with additional equipment to achieve this. When purchasing such a car, you will receive only its basic equipment.

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