The Tesla Model S Plaid is once again king of the Nürburgring Nordschleife for production electric vehicles after setting a new lap record.
A Model S Plaid equipped with the Track Package set a new lap record for production EVs on June 2, beating the previous record of the Porsche Taycan by more than eight seconds.
The exact lap time was 7:25.231 (7 minutes and 25.231 seconds), which places the Model S Plaid in respectable company, between the Ferrari Enzo and Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series.
The previous record for production EVs was set in August 2022 by the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which covered the 12.94 miles of the fearsome track in 7 minutes and 33 seconds. The Taycan had beat the previous record set by the Tesla Model S Plaid a year before by more than two seconds.
Now, Tesla has reclaimed the record, which begs the obvious question: how was the Model S Plaid able to shave 10 seconds off its previous Nürburgring lap time?
Well, the Track Pack is the obvious answer, as it adds new brakes and tires and unlocks a 200-mph top speed.
More specifically, the Track Package includes aluminum forged Zero-G wheels, track-ready Goodyear Supercar 3R tires, and a carbon ceramic brake kit consisting of carbon-silicon carbide rotors, one-piece forged calipers with high-performance pads, and track-ready brake fluid.
But the onboard footage of the record run posted by Tesla offers another clue as to how the Model S Plaid was able to be 10 seconds faster than in 2021: the round steering wheel. The Model S Plaid that set the record two years ago featured the yoke, which many deemed unsafe and not effective for track driving.
While it's hard to say how much the round steering wheel contributed to the Model S Plaid's new record, the fact it was fitted with one equates to a quiet admission from Tesla that a traditional wheel is better than the yoke – at least when attempting to set a lap record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Watch the entire record lap in the spectacular video embedded above, in which the Tesla Model S Plaid can be seen hitting speeds as high as 179.5 miles per hour (289 kilometers per hour).
More track driving videos featuring the Tesla Model S Plaid
Source: Tesla (YouTube)