Tesla just set a land speed record and sold out the car that did it
Tesla has reclaimed the “Ring”.
The automaker sent its most powerful model to Germany’s Nurburgring circuit, setting a new lap record for electric cars.
The 13-mile circuit serves as a proving ground and benchmark for sports cars due to its unique rough and twisty surface, and well simulates real roads with no speed limit.
A Tesla Model S Plaid broke the Porsche Taycan’s record in 2021 with a 7-minute 35-second lap, but Porsche returned with another 671 hp Taycan, fitted with an optional performance package upgrade, and improved that time by two seconds to retake the top spot.
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A Tesla Model S Plaid has set a new distance record for electric cars at the Nürburgring. (tesla)
This time, Tesla did the same, launching a $108,490 Model S Plaid with an optional $20,000 new track package.
The optional $20,000 Track Package includes carbide brakes and high-performance tires. (tesla)
The package boosts the 1,020hp car’s top speed to 200mph and adds carbide brake discs that prevent fading under extreme use, and a new set of wheels with near-slick Goodyear Supercar 3R tyres.
The car was driven by professional driver Tom Schwister. (tesla)
Tesla put professional racer Tom Schwister behind the wheel, which was round rather than the now-optional fork-shaped wheel.
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The Model S Plaid, equipped with a new track package, broke Tesla’s old record by 10 seconds. (tesla)
His lap of 7:25.231 was 10 seconds faster than the last Model S Plaid and bettered the Porsche’s time by more than eight seconds. The effort seems to have paid off.
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Hours after the record was announced, the track pack was listed as “sold out” on Tesla’s website, but it didn’t say how many were initially available.
Tesla posted unedited in-car video of the lap on social media with live data for anyone wanting to test accuracy. In it, the car can be seen hitting almost 180 mph on the longest straight of the circuit.