This week, Elon Musk announced the Tesla Model S had set a new lap record for four-door sedans at Laguna Seca just one week after the Porsche Taycan was revealed, but now we know the lap time. According to Tesla, the Model S lapped the Laguna Seca circuit in just one minute and 36.555 seconds.

That means the Tesla Model S has beaten the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 by around one second, which held the previous four-door sedan record at Laguna Seca with a time of one minute and 37.54 seconds. You can watch the lap record in full in a video posted by the automaker showing the Model S silently smash the California race circuit.

This wasn't an ordinary Model S, however. The electric sedan that set the lap record was a chassis prototype equipped with a "Plaid powertrain" that incorporates three electric motors instead of two. This is yet another Spaceballs reference that's even faster than "Ludicrous mode".

Cast your mind back to 2016, and Tesla previously announced the Plaid powertrain will be reserved for the new Roadster. However, Musk has now confirmed on Twitter the Plaid powertrain is "about a year away from production" and will be available for the Model S, Model X, and Roadster, but not the Model 3 or Model Y. It will "cost more than our current offerings, but less than competitors" according to Musk, which is an obvious dig at the Taycan's high price tag.

In response to the Taycan's recent lap record, the Tesla Model S will also make a record attempt at the Nurburgring. It was originally expected to be unleashed at the Green Hell this week, but Musk has delayed it to review the Model S for safety before it attempts a lap record. To beat the Porsche Taycan, the Model S will need to set a lap time faster than seven minutes and 42 seconds.