In another battle of the fastest ‘Ring record, electric car makers Porsche and Tesla are about to face off.
Tesla’s upcoming ‘Plaid’ triple-motor drivetrain will likely make the Model S the world’s fastest production electric vehicle.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been tweeting about the upcoming drivetrain, which locates an electric motor on each rear wheel and one motor on the front axle, but performance details are yet to be released.
However, what we do know, is that it could take away Porsche’s newly minted Nürburgring lap record, which was set this year with the Taycan. Porsche’s 7min42sec time in the all-new model is the fastest lap around the ‘Ring by a production electric vehicle.
According to Road & Track’s local Nurburgring expert watching Tesla testing, a handheld timing of the US car clocked it completing a lap 20 seconds faster than Porsche’s best effort. Admittedly, the 7min23sec time was recorded handheld, but given the unofficial lap was completed with other manufacturers testing in an industry pool session it is indicative of what Tesla might achieve this Wednesday when official laps can be recorded.
The witness also reports that Tesla’s enlisted the help of professional drivers Thomas Mutsch (FIA GT and GT3), Andreas Simonsen (Nurburgring VLN series), and Carl Rydquist (GT3), and that the Model S is unlike any Tesla you can buy, stripped out of its interior and sporting wide Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport RS rubber under flared wheel arches.
We’ll likely see if Tesla can officially take the record from Porsche this Wednesday night, and expect the new Plaid triple-motor to feature in next year’s new Model S, Model X and Roadster.
But Porsche might have more tricks up its sleeve, suggesting that the Taycan was not running at full whack when it claimed the current record. Let the battle begin.
