The Tesla Model S Plaid, race-modified by Unplugged Performance and driven by racing driver Randy Pobst, has won the Exhibition class of the 2021 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race on 27 June 2021.
This year, the race was shortened, as the top section was covered by ice and snow. In such circumstances, the time of 6:57.220 allowed Tesla Model S Plaid to be 10th overall. See the full table here.
It's an amazing result for a modified production car.
The all-time record of 7:57.148 at the full length of 12.42-mile (19.99-kilometre) track belongs to the Volkswagen I.D. R and was set in 2018. It's the best time overall, not only for EVs. See table here.
The other two Teslas were:
- 2021 Tesla Model 3 (#88, Joshua Allan) - 8:16.778
- 2018 Tesla Model 3 (#90, Daijiro Yoshihara) - 11:41.162
It was a very successful event for the Tesla Model S Plaid, which is mostly known for its record-breaking acceleration. The Unplugged Performance team proved that racing is also possible. We don't know the details, but it seems that the battery pack is not overheating even after a prolonged time under high power (up to 760 kW) and frequent regenerative braking.
Who knows, maybe in the not-too-distant future we will see the Plaid also at the Nürburgring Nordschleife?
Videos
Journey Leading Up to Race Day
Pikes Peak 2021 Unplugged Plaid Model S Winning Run 360 In-Car Video!
Randy Pobst’s Initial Thoughts After The Race
More about Plaid:
Previous reports about 2021 PPIHC: June 22 results, June 23 results, June 24 results, June 25 results