Tesla’s Model S has once again proven its dominance on the racetrack by beating the Nürburgring lap record for a production electric vehicle. The record-breaking run took place on Friday when a Model S Plaid equipped with the Track Package completed a 12.94-mile lap in an impressive 7 minutes and 25.231 seconds, surpassing the previous record set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo S by over 8 seconds.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, expressed his congratulations to the Tesla Plaid racing team through a tweet, acknowledging their remarkable achievement. The Model S Plaid’s Track Package played a crucial role in this success, providing enhanced tires and brakes, as well as a top speed exceeding 200 miles per hour. During the lap, the Model S reached speeds as high as 179.5 miles per hour, showcasing its incredible performance capabilities.
Since years, Tesla and Porsche have been competing for the quickest production electric vehicle title by setting the fastest lap time at the Nürburgring. At the famed racecourse in 2019, Porsche’s Taycan achieved a new lap record. But in 2021, the Model S Plaid surpassed the Taycan’s record by 7 seconds and ousted Porsche with a time of 7 minutes, 35.579 seconds. The next year, Porsche responded by reclaiming the title with the Taycan Turbo S and beating Tesla’s performance by two seconds.
Elon Musk has always been ambitious about Tesla’s performance goals, especially at the Nürburgring. In a conversation on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2021, Musk expressed his desire to achieve a lap time below 7 minutes. He believed that with further improvements, the Model S could achieve this milestone and make history on the Nürburgring.
The most recent lap record set by the Tesla Model S Plaid confirms the company’s dedication to advancing the capabilities of electric vehicles. Tesla’s position as a market leader in the electric car industry has been cemented by its tireless pursuit of speed and constant innovation. It will be exciting to observe how Tesla and other manufacturers continue to raise the bar for electric vehicle performance on the racecourse as technology develops and competition heats up.