A 'Plaid Mode' Triple Motor Tesla Model S Is Laguna Seca's Fastest Saloon
Just under a week on from Elon Musk making claims of an incoming Model S Nurburgring effort, the car has set a fast lap… at a different circuit. The Tesla went around Laguna Seca in 1:36.555, making it almost a second faster than the Jaguar XE SV Project 8. Best just to gloss over the fact the Model S has five doors and not four.
The catch? This was no ordinary Model S - this was a prototype with a new chassis and a ‘Plaid’ powertrain. Elon Musk appeared to confirm on Twitter that this means the Model S is getting the same triple motor setup (two at the rear axle, one at the front) as the Roadster, a system which will also appear in the Model X. The three-motor S will “cost more than our current offering, but less than competitors,” Musk said, in a not-so-subtle reference to the new Porsche Taycan.
Is all this a distraction from the conspicuously absent Model S Nordschleife time? Not necessarily. Perhaps it’s best thought of as a warm-up - according to Road & Track, Tesla does have a 30-minute private slot booked at the ‘Ring on 21 September. The ‘P100D+’-badged car we’re expecting to be used for the effort - most likely with the same Plaid powertrain and chassis as the Laguna Seca beast - has been spotted in the vicinity.
However, even if this mightiest Model S is able to beat the Porsche Taycan’s 7min 42sec Green Hell lap, the feat may, erm, ring hollow. The Tesla is sitting on fat Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, with the wheel arches widened to cover the bigger rubber. Cup 2 Rs are street legal, and extremely effective, but they wear out extremely quickly. It’d never be feasible to offer them even as an option on the Plaid Model S. The car Tesla has in Germany also wears some new aero elements - it’s not clear if these will make it on to any production cars.
Regardless, we’ll be watching Tesla’s Nurburgring progress with interest.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
There’s no way it’s going to be faster than the Taycan. Laguna Seca is child’s play compared to the Nurburgring
Taycan is twin motored tho.
I’d be careful with Porsche, especially since they own 15.5% of stake in a company that makes quad motor EVs.
You’ll see that number is gonna keep increasing till they own Rimac as a whole
That’s Spaceball one! They’ve gone….Plaid!
The roadster concept unveil had a spaceball reference I think
While people are raiding area 51, tesla will be slaying the ‘Ring lmao
Dayum a Tesla that can handle, Porsche must’ve lit a flame in Elon
Thery should call it “Spaceball One Edition”
Wonder if plaid mode will be on the pickup truck
Are we just going to ignore that it was on racing slicks?
MURICA, but also does this mean electric cars will soon become king?