With the new ceramic brakes, Tesla’s Model S Plaid has now fulfilled its initial promise to reach a high speed of 322 km/h.
When Tesla first announced the Model S Plaid, their new high-performance premium electric sedan, it boasted a top speed of 322 km/h.
When it was first delivered in 2022, the car’s top speed was “only” 262 km/h, according to Electrek.
In a film created with Tesla Belgium, Formula One legend Sebastian Vettel, who frequently collaborates with the electronic vehicle giant, can be seen testing a Model S Plaid with ceramic brakes at Circuit de Bresse.
This may indicate that the automaker is getting ready to update its brakes.
“And let me tell you, this is an entirely different animal compared to the stock car!” Sebastian Vettel was reported to have said. He stated that the vehicle had no speed limits and that he frequently exceeded 350 km/h.
“Second, I had the chance to bring the car for one full day on CIRCUIT de BRESSE in France for a real condition test. It is a technical small track, which is normally great for small cars like Caterham, Ariel Atom or other Lotus cars and a TRUE NIGHTMARE for heavy cars and the brakes!!! Well, after a couple of laps, I just did the track record for a street-legal car on non-semi-slick tires here. Tire Original Michelin PS4S on original dimension 265/35/21 front 295/30/21 rear and original TESLA WHEELS the lap time (in this video): 1min33.610 is absolutely insane for this kind of big car who is totally not adapted for this track!!” he added further.
The improved S Plaid, according to the Formula One legend, allowed him to break the track record for a street-legal car.
In January 2022, the company added a new “Track Mode” to the Model S Plaid that raised the top speed to 282 km/h.
The brakes appeared to be the bottleneck. The source stated that Tesla “didn’t want to unlock higher top speeds without the electric supercar having stronger brakes to slow it down after reaching this new highest speed.”
After being modified by the owner to remove the manufacturer’s speed limiter, the Model S Plaid breached the 322 km/h barrier for the first time in June 2022.