Over the last few days, Tesla has been spotted doing something at WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway. It’s believed that the company is attempting to set a new EV lap record there. The Kilowatts has been following Tesla’s antics at the track, and a new video from its YouTube channel purports to show the Model S, possibly the new Plaid+ model, setting a new lap record. The time is unofficial but still impressive.
The video actually shows two different Model S saloons rocketing around the track. The top video is believed to be the Plaid or the Plaid+ model, which unofficially lapped the track in 1:29.9, beating Tesla’s previous lap time of 1:30.3. The bottom video is believed to show the Dual Motor or Plaid model lapping the track in 1:32.6. The McLaren Senna holds the current production car lap record at the track with a 1:27.6 time.
Gallery: 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid Refresh
Earlier this year, Tesla revealed a significant refresh for the Model S while also introducing the new Plaid+ performance trim. The Plaid+ has new battery cells that are part of the vehicle’s structure. According to the company, the new batteries give the saloon 520 miles (836 kilometres) of range with a zero-to-60 time below 1.99 seconds. It’s believed Tesla is putting the Plaid and Plaid+ trim through their paces before the cars begin reaching customers sometime this year.
Tesla time:
News that Tesla may have set a new Laguna Seca lap record arrives days after another report claimed the updated Model S Plaid set a new quarter-mile record. If legitimate, the time would make it the quickest production car in the world. The report claimed the car rocketed through the quarter-mile with a 9.23-second time at 152.16 miles per hour (244.88 kilometres per hour). For now, both the quarter-mile and Laguna Seca track times are unofficial, though if they’re real, Tesla has a performance monster on its hands.
Source: The Kilowatts / YouTube