The drama at the Nurburgring between Tesla and Porsche started when the German automaker set a blistering time of 7 minutes and 42 seconds in its all-electric sedan. Tesla promptly had a couple of Model S cars sent out there and almost everyone enjoyed the spectacle. However, Tesla left the Ring without setting an "official" lap time while Porsche revealed it had sent out the lower-spec Taycan Turbo rather than the faster and more performance-oriented Taycan Turbo S for its lap time. That led to plenty of speculation as the Turbo S trim has 750 horsepower and is capable of sprinting from 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds.

2.5 seconds doesn't seem like a long time, but when you consider how long the straights are on the Ring, that will make a difference. The Turbo S also comes from the factory with ceramic brakes, which are lighter and help keep consistent stopping power through harsh braking over extended periods. We wondered if Porsche was deliberately keeping the Taycan Turbo Sversion in its back pocket, but Cars Guide spoke with the Taycan's product manager, Lukas Kramer, and he explained that the Taycan Turbo had just completed a 24-hour pre-launch test drive

"We used the same car on our own 24-hour test drive, and it was very important that the car could do both. Between the two events we just changed the tires, we wanted the car to be in the same setup," Kramer revealed.

Kramer also confirmed the Taycan S would be faster around the 'Ring, saying: "We're really happy with our (lap time) time. But (with the Turbo S) there would be some potential."

Unconfirmed reports suggest the Tesla Model S lapped the Ring around 20 seconds faster than the Taycan Turbo, but Tesla left without a confirmed run. The discussion is really moot as Tesla wasn't fielding anything near a production car, but no doubt speculation will continue to be rife. Whether the unconfirmed claims are accurate or not, 20 seconds is the number out in the wild, and whether the Taycan Turbo S has an extra 20 seconds in it around a 16.12-mile lap is up for debate until Porsche actually puts the wheels on the track.