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Porsche Could Be Trolling Tesla At The Nurburgring

Sep. 18, 2019 8:25 AM ET by Ian Wright / 19 Comments Don't get too excited about the Tesla Model S' Ring record. A Tesla Model S prototype has been spotted hammering its way around the Nurburgring, with early rumors suggesting that it lapped the fabled circuit 20 seconds faster than the all-electric Porsche Taycan. The Tesla car currently prowling the Ring is suspected to have three motors and what Elon Musk calls "plaid mode," which 1980s movie nerds will remember from the Star Wars spoof called Spaceballs as being faster than Ludicrous Speed. It also has wider fender flares, specialist Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport RS tires, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a trunk lip spoiler. The time Porsche set for the so-called 4-door electric car record around the Nurburgring is 7 minutes and 42 seconds. However, Porsche appears to have been holding back one important fact. Porsche Porsche Porsche Car and Driver is reporting that Stefan Weckbach, vice president of the Taycan product line, told the publication that it was a Porsche Taycan Turbo that set the initial Nurburgring lap time, and not the faster Taycan Turbo S. Car and Driver than asked the important question of whether Porsche had lapped the Taycan Turbo S and what time it had set, and Weckbach declined to comment. The first conclusion that can be drawn here is that the Taycan Turbo S isn't actually faster around the 'Ring as the difference in the Turbo's 670 horsepower and the Turbo S's 750 is only available for 2.5 seconds at a time. However, Nurburgring has a lot of long straights where that big bump will make quite a difference, and Porsche isn't in the habit of adding the S to Turbo without a good reason. HEINZ TONI SESTERHEIM HEINZ TONI SESTERHEIM The more likely conclusion to draw, we believe, is that Porsche wanted to leave something on the table for when another automaker decided to come along and beat its Nurburgring time. Perhaps it was a hook that Porsche baited specifically for Tesla. If the Turbo S is indeed faster, then this could turn out to be the greatest piece of automotive industry trolling in decades. HEINZ TONI SESTERHEIM HEINZ TONI SESTERHEIM HEINZ TONI SESTERHEIM

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Porsche Taycan Tesla Model S Ian Wright Associate Editor After working his way through several loosely related careers, Ian finally took the hint and became an automotive journalist and photographer. He spent a few years freelancing before joining up with CarBuzz to combine his love of writing, photography, and cars into one neat package. When Ian is not staring down a lens or into a computer screen writing reviews and features, you can find him in Southern California enjoying winding mountain and canyon roads. If you can’t find him, he’s probably off-roading in the desert. Contact Ian @BothHandDrive @BothHandDrive LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top