Tesla CEO Elon Musk has posted an image on Twitter with a sheet of paper and two times on it: 7:30.9 and 7:35.5. He claims a completely stock Tesla Model S Plaid hit these times on the Nürburgring track. If true, that would mean a new record among production cars.
Tesla also posted a video recording of a second, slower North Loop run. According to the official information, the car was brought to the track straight from the factory, packing three electric motors jointly rated at 1,020 PS (1,006 hp / 750 kW) and no modifications.
At the same time, The Drive points out that spy photos made during the alleged record run reveal that at least one modification was made: the Model S Plaid had a more traditional round steering wheel instead of its usual yoke.
However, the official video shows a car with a yoke wheel. There is no clear explanation as to what it could mean. Perhaps Tesla brought two cars to the Nürburgring, and the driver of the one with the standard wheel showed a better lap time. It is also possible that one and the same liftback set both times, but the first lap time is for the 20.6-kilometer long version of the North Loop (old) and the second lap time is for the 20.8-km version (new).
The Porsche Taycan Turbo. is officially the fastest production EV in the world right now with a Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes 42.3 seconds. If what Elon Musk posted is true, however, the Model S Plaid has just dethroned the Taycan by nearly 12 seconds.