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All-Tesla Electric GT Championship Parades Its Race-Ready Model S

It's been less than a year since we first heard about the Electric GT, the racing series that uses slightly modified Tesla Model S cars, and now it's less than a year since the championship will actually debut.
Electric GT's Tesla Model S 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
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But this is how quickly things move in the world of electric cars. One man saw the Formula E series, thought he could do better, enlisted the help of a professional racing driver, invested all his money, and now we're very close to the day when 20 Tesla Model S will be battling for supremacy on the same racing circuit.

That man's name is Mark Gemmell, and he's the founder and CEO of Electric GT. It's because of his and Spanish racing driver Agustin Paya's efforts that we can now look forward to an all-electric GT series. After the initial announcement earlier this year, two months ago they (literally) took the wraps off the vehicle that will serve as the series' only race car.

As promised from the beginning, it's a modified Tesla Model S P85, which means it comes with a 310 kW (416 hp) electric motor driving the rear wheels alone. The team explained why they didn't go with a two-motor set up and it has to do with weight, fun, but also costs. Anyhow, the race car will still be able to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.2 seconds, so it doesn't lack acceleration.

This is how Agustin Paya described the interventions on the car: "We are making only small changes to the production Model S P85+ such as improved braking and aerodynamics to increase high speed grip. We will strengthen suspension, braking, cooling, and steering as well as reducing the overall weight. The rest, powertrain, battery, programming, everything is original.

The video below details it a bit more while also offering a better look at the interior. We get to see the roll cage, the bucket seats and five-point racing harness, the extinguisher system, but also the clearly wider stance of the car. Who would have thought that the Model S would make such a good-looking and convincing race car? What? Everybody? Yeah, I guess you're right.

The first race of the series will be held in 2017, but the full calendar is yet to be released. However, Electric GT Championship has the full backing of FIA, meaning it will have access to a number of famous European circuits, including Circuit de Catalunya and the Nurburgring.

Each stage is scheduled to consist of a 20-minute practice session and a 30-minute qualifying session, followed the next day by a 37-mile (60 km) race in broad daylight and another one of equal length at dusk.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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