Tesla breaks a new record – this time, it's on a racetrack that's a full mile-and-a-half in length (and has turns): Willow Springs - Streets of Willow circuit. It took the crown from the previous champion – a modified C7 Corvette Grand Sport – by nearly three seconds, putting the "stop" in "stopwatch" at 1 min 13.5 seconds. Prepped by Unplugged Performance, the Tesla Model S Plaid retained the factory powertrain and software.
And here is where the add-ons list begins: an EV-diehard racing driver – Craig Coker – behind the wheel (yes, not yoke) of a Tesla. The EV sports the following (going from the ground up): 19x13 race wheels wrapped in 330/710-19 Yokohama A005 Slicks (not road legal and worn about halfway down their limit).
Carbon-ceramic brakes all around (with race competition pads and brake lines) and Ohlins TTX 4 Way Coilovers; adjustable billet front upper control arms, rear billet arms, adjustable rear sway bar, and racing lower diffusers.
Unplugged Performance put on their S-APEX carbon widebody to shave as much weight from the already body mass-dense Tesla. A massive rear wing and an equally overgrown front diffuser complete the time-shattering attire. The tuners finished the job with Lexan side and rear windows, and – for race purposes only – a roll cage was thrown in the cabin.
The Tesla started the time-trialed run with 4,898 lbs. (2,219 kg, driver included) to carry around. Battery charge - as the video shows – is at 72%. One minute and thirteen seconds later, the battery shed 6% of its electric reserve due to record-setting heavy track use.
Photo: Instagram/Craig Coker @ fromwhereicharge
The car peaked at 125 mph (202 kph) on the long straight and scored an average of 74 mph (120 kph). The eerie silence of the electric motors is a quiet nod to what the future of racing could look like. Wind howling outside the cockpit, and some tires screeching under hard, high-speed braking.
However, the crucial element of this record is not that this Tesla is fast(er than the rest) but that it can go even under that already-low record. After the limit-breaking run, Craig Coker posted on his Instagram account.
"Record Lap! We set out to Willow Springs to capture some results on a short track, and it went well. We were limited to 3 hot laps for the day, but I've also never driven this track. We captured 1:13.5 on my last attempt. I'm certain we can improve with new Yoko A005 slicks and a full battery. Nonetheless, still a solid result!"
For journalistic accuracy, we'll reiterate the Tesla Model S Plaid specifications – although we are confident the car's capabilities are well known to our readers. Three electric motors sum up to 750 kW of power – just over one thousand hp (1,020 PS) – and a monster torque of 1,050 lb-ft (1,424 Nm). With a power-to-weight ratio of 453 bhp/ton, the car can hit 60 mph (97 kph) in 1.9 seconds. It marked 216 mph (348 kph) this summer (with the help of a Canadian tuner that removed the software limiter).
Photo: Instagram/Craig Coker @ fromwhereicharge
Impressive as it may be, the Tesla is not the fastest car around the Willow Springs – Streets of Willow circuit. A Porsche claims that spot (watch it achieve the feat in the second video). The eardrum-tormenting German ICE 1:12.9 lap time is not on the main leaderboard, nevertheless, because its timed sprint was "strictly for entertainment purposes."
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
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