There’s a report out that Tesla have dispatched a couple of Model Ses to Germany to show Porsche who’s boss. And, according to what’s being reported, the Tesla Model S has done it, it’s beaten the Porsche Taycan Turbo’s Nurburgring EV lap record of 7:42 with a 7:23. Whoa, way to g……. wait a minute, this seems fishy.
If you’re not in the know, Porsche just released their brand new all-electric vehicle, the Taycan, in three different trims; Taycan, Taycan Turbo, Taycan Turbo S. When debuting the new car, Porsche spoke highly of its performance.
Now, on to this fishiness that I smell. Auto Motor und Sport were the first to report the hand-timed Model S run around the ‘Ring. Wait, did I just say hand-timed? Why yes, and let me explain.
Porsche set a lap record on a private test day that they paid for. Tesla did their run in traffic on a public day driving from Bridge to Gantry. A Bridge to Gantry run around the Nurburgring is shorter than the full track by 1.7 km, or 1.06 mile. Some estimate that there is a 20 to 30 second time difference between the BTG and a full lap.
If that’s the case, then 20 seconds is a 7:43 with an experimental chassis and battery setup. If it’s 30 seconds, well then we’re talking about 7 minutes and 53 seconds. Porsche set their lap on the full course.
The Tesla Model Ses testing at the famed Green Hell also had different aero treatments, wider wheels and tires, carbon-ceramic brakes, and potentially sporting Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 and Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport RS tires. Basically, nothing that comes as optional on a Model S. I’m not saying it can’t or won’t be, but it’s easily criticized if you have a non-production spec car.
I must say that none of this takes away from the fact that the Model S is a fantastic car, nor does it mean that the Model S can’t beat the Porsche Taycan. Right now, though, that has yet to be seen. So before we start screaming “TESLA WINS!” we must first allow things to play out in a more official way.
Below is a video of the pool day when the Tesla Model S Plaid prototype was racing around the ‘Ring.
https://youtu.be/gGSLxMVkipU
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]
