Porsche’s tit-for-tat with Tesla on the sacred ground of Green Hell continues, as the German carmaker announced on Wednesday that set a new EV lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife: 7:33.3. Porsche’s Lars Kern got behind the wheel of one Taycan Turbo WILL for the run, beat previous record – put in a Tesla Model S Plaid – equals 2.3 seconds.
As is typical when we discuss efforts to record the Nürburgring, we need to talk about how this particular Taycan has been speculated. Porsche says the car has been equipped with a “new performance suite” exclusive to the German market and Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control. Roll cage and racing seat required; If not, it was stock. Of the company Press Release:
The performance set includes 21-inch RS-Spyder design wheels with road-approved Pirelli P Zero Corsa sport tires, now available for the Taycan. Their tire compounds are similar to those of racing tires. Another element of the performance suite is a software update to the Porsche Chassis Control System 4D so that it works in harmony with the sports tyres. The system analyzes and synchronizes all Taycan chassis systems in real time. “Previously, only purebred super sports cars achieved the 7:33 range,” says Kern. “With the new performance suite, I was able to push even harder, and the car started even more accurately and with more agility.”
This is a 5,100-pound sedan at its absolute limit, and it’s pretty incredible to see. About a decade ago, the 7:40 sub-range would have been the domain of a 911 GT3 generation 997″; Today, sedans are passing those times with ease, with and without electrification.
The The current four-door record is 7: 20.2 belongs to the BMW M4 CSL, which was confirmed only this past April. Before, Project Jaguar 8 – a low-production, race-focused variant of the compact four-door XE – tops the table for 2019, filmed in 7:23.
We’ll have to wait and see if Tesla tries to respond. When the Model S Plaid took the category record last September, it took the place from the Taycan Turbo – sans “S” – and beat Porsche by about 12 seconds.
That Plaid’s 7:30.1 time is likely to be quicker than the time Porsche announced today, but it’s important to note that Tesla has placed it on a slightly shorter profile of the Nordschleife, skipping the approx. the small time between taking the Grand Prix course and starting Turn 13. It’s not a sly Tesla; that is Nürb lap time measurement method was popular a few years ago. Welcome green hell.
