The Tesla Model S Plaid finally delivers on the original promises of a top speed of 200 mph with new ceramic brakes.
When Tesla first announced the Model S Plaid, its new high-performance electric car, the automaker promised a top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h). However, when it was first delivered last year, the car “only” featured a top speed of 163 mph (262 km/h).
Last year, Tesla released a new “Track Mode” for the Model S Plaid that pushed the top speed to 175 mph (282 km/h).
The brakes seemed to be the limiting factor. Tesla didn’t want to unlock higher top speeds without the electric supercar having bigger brakes that could slow it down after achieving this new top speed.
Tesla started offering to upgrade the brakes with a carbon-ceramic set for $20,000 last year, but the automaker has yet to install the new brakes on the Model S Plaid.
Last summer, we reported on a Tesla Model S Plaid that broke a top speed of 200 mph for the first time after the owner hacked it to remove the Tesla speed limiter.
It already achieved a top speed of 216 mph (348 km/h) and looked like it could have been faster, but it was running out of road and braking space – although the brakes themselves were upgraded with third party brakes.
Now Tesla is likely to install its own brake upgrade as Sebastian Vittel, the race car driver who has often collaborated with Tesla, released a video in partnership with Tesla Belgium where he was loaned a Model S Plaid with ceramic brake upgrade for a test lap at Circuit de Bresse:
Vettel commented on his experience with the car:
And let me tell you man, this is a completely different animal compared to the stock car!!
He confirmed that the car had no speed limiter, and he had achieved 350 km/h (217 mph) on several occasions – breaking the previous record.
The driver says he managed to beat the lap record for a street-legal car on a racetrack with his upgraded Model S Plaid:
Secondly, I had the opportunity to bring the car in for a full day at CIRCUIT de BRESSE in France for a real case test. It’s a little technical track, which is usually great for small cars like Caterham, Ariel Atom or other Lotus cars and a real heavy duty brake and brake!!! Well, after a few laps, I just set a track record for a street car on non-slippery tires here. ORIGINAL MICHELIN PS4S TIRES ON ORIGINAL DIMENSION 265/35/21 FRONT 295/30/21 REAR AND ORIGINAL TESLA WHEELS THE LAPTIME (IN THIS VIDEO): 1min33.610 Absolutely insane for this kind of big car that wasn’t quite adapted to this track!!
Vittel pointed out more videos of the new Model S Plaid with upgraded brakes.
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