Tesla Unofficially Takes Record from Porsche at Nürburgring
Heavy mods make a quick car, but is it a fair fight?
If you’ve been online at all in the past month, you’ve probably seen the back-and-forth between Tesla and Porsche about Nürburgring ring times. Tesla has now claimed that they have smashed the record set by the Taycan, according to Electrek, but take it with a grain of salt.
The First Unsuccessful Trial
Back in October, Tesla sent a red Model S Plaid prototype to the racetrack to see what it could do. During the first few laps, it wove its way around the track and showed off its speed capabilities. It also showed off a new design, constructed to be more aerodynamic while still including classic Tesla features.
While Swedish racer Andreas Simonsen drove the red Tesla around the track for another lap, the wet pavement caused the wheels to lose their grip on a turn. The car ended up crashing at a high velocity, although the driver walked away from the crash unharmed and left to rest, as reported by Teslarati.
A Second Look
Tesla returned to the drawing board unphased. The company was determined to race a four-door sedan around the track, although history had proven that a difficult feat. Older Model S prototypes were known to be quick on the track, but didn’t hold up against competitors. While the four-door model reached max speeds quickly, it couldn’t hold up the speed long enough to beat previous records.
After a few weeks to tweak the Model S, Tesla was ready to return to the track with the “Plaid” prototype.
How the Record Shattered
The blue Model S made its Nürburgring debut with a chassis prototype that broke a record in California before boarding a flight to Germany. It took off on its first laps and immediately made an impression on observers, who clocked its time by hand.
The Tesla soared over the finish line at 7:23 minutes and shaved the record down by 20 seconds, which is quite surprising, and a little suspicious as well. Tesla recorded their own lap times, and there’s no information out there about if they actually went through the Nordschlefe’s official process. It’s also important to note that this car was heavily modded just for this record, so it wasn’t exactly a fair fight.
What the Future Holds
Breaking the four-door record is notable, but Tesla must return to the track in the coming weeks to repeat its success to try and make it official. Rumored time slots for future races may happen later this month, if at all in 2019.
As Tesla celebrates its unofficial new record, the company prepares for its next race around the track. We’ll keep an eye out and see how Porsche responds.
Photos: Teslarati