Tesla, the American automaker, has once again made headlines at the Nürburgring race track’s “Nordschleife.” This time, it’s the Model S Plaid that has claimed the title of the fastest production electric car on the track.
Under the guidance of instructor Tom Schvister, the Model S Plaid, with its impressive 1020-horsepower and all-wheel drive, completed the challenging 20.8-kilometer lap in a remarkable time of 7 minutes, 25.23 seconds. This achievement surpassed the previous record set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo S by a margin of over eight seconds.
The Nürburgring has been a fierce battleground for Tesla and Porsche in recent years. Following Porsche’s record-breaking performance with the Taycan electric car, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was determined to reclaim the top spot for his company. Tesla embarked on rigorous testing of early Model S Plaid prototypes, showcasing their impressive lap times. However, the release of the vehicle was delayed by nearly two years, heightening the anticipation.
Finally, in 2021, Tesla introduced the production version of the Model S Plaid to the Nürburgring track and successfully shattered Porsche’s record. Completing the lap in an impressive 7 minutes, 35.579 seconds, Tesla once again established itself as a force to be reckoned with.
Not to be outdone, Porsche reclaimed the title of the fastest production car a year later with the Taycan Turbo S, surpassing the Model S Plaid’s time by a mere two seconds.
It is worth noting that while the Taycan Turbo S is technically a production car, Porsche equipped it with a highly specialized “performance package” to achieve this record. Anticipation grew for Tesla’s own “Track Package” to become available, with expectations that it would surpass Porsche’s achievement.
Ultimately, Tesla not only surpassed Porsche’s record but also improved upon it by a remarkable eight seconds, solidifying its dominance on the Nürburgring.
