Watch A Tesla Model S Plaid Obliterate The EV Lap Record At Sebring International Raceway

Aug. 30, 2022 10:32 AM ET by Jarryd Neves Video / 9 Comments

With Blake Fuller at the wheel, the electric performer lapped the circuit in 2:19.999.

While rivals such as the Lucid Air and Mercedes-Benz EQS boast superior comfort and build quality, the Tesla Model S Plaid still reigns supreme on the race track. Earlier this year, the electric super sedan set a lap record at Virginia International Raceway, making it faster than a Porsche Taycan Turbo S.

Not a vehicle to rest on its laurels, another example of the Plaid has just demolished a record for EVs at the famed Sebring International Raceway. Expertly piloted by Blake Fuller, Musk's moneymaker stuck like glue to the technical course, building speed as soon as it exits the often tight and tricky bends littered across the circuit. The result? An astonishing time of 2:19.999 - nearly five seconds quicker than the time apparently set by the aforementioned Taycan.

In the video below, Fuller wrestles the Plaid with expertise, piloting the silent track killer with panache. Through some corners, it appears as if the Tesla is slipping away, but the driver's quick reactions and counter-steering keep it tracking straight and true.

The most impressive part of the video can be found towards the end. On the Ullman Straight, the Tesla deploys every one of its 1,020 horsepowers and flies down the straight at incredible speed. The Tesla hits 3,082-foot-long straight at around 70 mph and, in a mere matter of seconds, it's approaching 170 mph.

Fuller didn't just beat the previous lap record, he destroyed it. The Tesla Model Plaid S hurtled itself around the track nearly five seconds faster than the now-fallen champion which, in racing, is an eternity. To be fair, this is no ordinary Model S Plaid, though.

While the electric motors remain untouched, Electric Performance has stripped the interior of its heavy trim pieces, seats, and insulation. A roll bar has been fitted should worse come to worst, and stronger stopping power comes courtesy of uprated brakes. There are carbon ceramics up front, while the rear has been treated to a large rotor upgrade.

Of course, the sticky Yokohama tires and Pikes Peak race wheels from Unplugged Performance help, too. The aforementioned company is well known in the EV world, especially for its motorsport exploits. If this particular Tesla looks familiar and the driver's name rings a bell, that's because it recently partook in the 2022 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb; Fuller set a time of 12:09.362.

Interestingly, he holds two records at Pikes Peak and also has both EV records at the Mt. Washington Hill Climb. Tesla models seem to do exceptionally well at Pikes Peak. Randy Pobst stunned the crowds in the Unplugged Performance Model S Plaid, which put on quite the show in June.

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Tags: #Tesla News #Electric Vehicles #Motorsport #Video

Jarryd Neves

Senior Editor

Contact Jarryd @jarrydneves

Back

To Top