Tesla reclaims Nürburgring EV lap record with 1,020bhp Model S Plaid Track Pack

Tesla has reclaimed the lap record for the fastest production electric car around the Nürburgring… and taken a big bite out of Porsche’s lunch.

Last Friday, a Model S Plaid equipped with the new ‘Track Pack’ – stiffer suspension, better brakes, higher top speed, that sort of thing – managed the 12.9m (20.8km) loop in 7m 25.231s.

That’s eight seconds faster than a Porsche Taycan Turbo S managed last year (7m 33.350s), itself two seconds faster than a ‘regular’ Model S Plaid managed back in 2021. Which was seven seconds faster than a Taycan's original 7m 42s attempt back in 2019. This is developing into a proper back and forth, huh.

To give it context outside of its chief EV rival, 7m 25s puts it amongst stuff like a Lamborghini Aventador, Mercedes-AMG SLS, and even a Ferrari Enzo.

There’s no word on who performed the lap nor what other modifications – if any – featured on the Model S Plaid Track Pack, but either way, it’s quick. No surprise really – the Track Pack liberates a 200mph top speed, among other things.

Indeed the suite of changes applied to this Model S Plaid also include greater control over the stability control’s aggression and front-to-rear bias, better battery conditioning, better and more regular access to full power, and better torque vectoring.

Your move, Porsche.

Beat previous record by >8 seconds! pic.twitter.com/BLtZV9WGYM

— Tesla (@Tesla) June 3, 2023