Tesla Model S Plaid just set world speed record for a production electric car | Hacker News Reader

Tesla Model S Plaid just set world speed record for a production electric car

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> Next will be modified Plaid with added aero surfaces, carbon brakes & track tires (all things that can be done without Tesla being in the loop)

Gee, thanks for letting owners change their brakes and tires without DRM (for now)

I just watched the Edmunds review of the Plaid's acceleration in drag race mode. The car spends about 20 minutes cooling the batteries and then it drops the front suspension (launch control or something?) and happily accelerates from 0 to 60 in around 2 seconds.

This is just a toy for rich people to allow them to waste resources faster. I understand the desire, but straight-line performance is about the least interesting thing in a car (to me)- I'd rather have an underpowered miata with excellent handling.

7:30, not bad for a 2.1 metric ton car. 14 seconds faster than a Golf. Here’s a question: how many laps will it do before going into a limp mode?

A lap video with no cuts and telemetry would be also awesome.

Tesla was shit on for 'limp mode' with the original Model S but they have corrected this to a great extent. The Model 3 is already quite amazing and can do much more then most competitors.

I have not seen tests but I assume the Plaid Model S has this on lock even more and can do for quite a long time.

A comparison might be the BMW M5, which does it in about the same time.

Looking forward to seeing what it can do with better tyres and some extra downforce.

And that’s the M5 CS. That’s a €180k car with 4 bucket seats. This isn’t the same class and speaks in favour of Tesla.

giulia quadrifoglio ran a similar time for 90k, of course if you pick rich kits you going to get bad price/performance metrics - https://www.motor1.com/news/97954/alfa-giulia-nurburgring-la...

Watched the recently released video on YouTube. Noticed that the vehicle seems to top out around 266kph/166mph, even in sections which appear to support higher speeds. The car is supposed to support 200mph. Is it currently governed to 166mph?

200 mph† †when equipped with the proper wheels and tires (available fall 2021) <— per Tesla web site.

I am 100% missing why he sent this tweet.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/anything-goes/nurburgring...

Do you mean because gas the nearest car or first car he beat in that list is Renault Magane?? Not exactly known as the greatest sports car of all time?

Every other car that beat the Model S is essentially a super-car, if not a sports car at a minimum. They made to do one thing really well, and that's to go fast around a track.

The Model S is an unmodified family sedan. It isn't like an Alfa Qudrofoglio GTAm which has had the seats removed and rollbar fitted, essentially turning it into a race car. This is the same car you'd pick the kids up in at school, load with groceries, and then take to the track and whollop anything that isn't purpose built for speed.

Then, it also happens to be electric. I'm curious to see what the Rimac will do around Nurburgring, or other purpose built electric.

BTW, I'm not an BEV fanboy, I love my late 535i Wagon, and would love an old Alfa or something, but the future is EV.

Perhaps the others are not considered production vehicles?

I think a https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rimac_Nevera could beat that easily.

I mean, are there any other production electric cars that could come close? It seems unsurprising that a tesla would beat things like the Nissan Leaf and other competitors.

Depends what you mean by "production". There are some boutique manufacturers like Pininfarina and Rimac producing hypercars with like 2000 horsepower, but they are essentially made by hand in runs that only amount in the couple hundreds

The electric Porsche that has "Turbo" in its name.

I guess 'production' does sound better than 'mass-produced'.

I do like the look of Tesla cars, tho.

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