Tesla might actually deliver the goods and set a new Nürburgring lap record.
In its second week testing in public, a prototype for the recently announced Tesla Model S Plaid has been spotted lapping the legendary racetrack. Our spy photographers timed the prototype with a run of 7:23 minutes.
If that time is correct it means the Model S Plaid beat the Porsche Taycan's Nürburgring lap time by 19 seconds. The Taycan that set that lap time was also a prototype, though the car is now in production. The Model S Plaid isn't expected to be ready until sometime in 2020.
Tesla Model S Plaid spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
The weather conditions for the Model S Plaid's lap are said to have been cool with a temperature of 64 degrees fahrenheit and heavy cloud cover.
Three drivers have been spotted behind the wheel so far: Thomas Mutsch, Andreas Simonsen, and Carly Rydquist.
It's possible Tesla will make an official record attempt Wednesday evening during the performance slot of pool testing while a second record attempt might occur Saturday evening.
The latest Model S Plaid prototype is said to be rolling on new, unreleased Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar RS rubber that might be prototype tires. Tesla was previously running a Model S Plaid prototype on Michelin Cup 2 R tires.
Tesla Model S Plaid spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
That earlier prototype was first spotted on September 12 lapping the Nürburgring just a day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the Plaid model will arrive in about a year. The Plaid announcement came alongside news that a prototype had set a lap time at Laguna Seca of 1:36.555, which the automaker claimed was a record for four-door cars at the track in California. We should point out that the Model S isn't actually a four-door sedan, but a five-door liftback, and no sanctioning body is known to establish or track records for Laguna Seca.
Musk first stirred the pot on Twitter on September 9 when he claimed the Model S would run at the Nürburging the following week. His tweet came one day after Porsche unveiled the 2020 Taycan and said the car had lapped the 'Ring in a time of 7:42. In typical Musk fashion, no other details were given apart from the fleeting tweet.
Stay tuned for further updates.
