Video: Porsche Taycan electric sedan beats Tesla Model S Plaid on the Nurburgring

Porsche is back on top at the Nurburgring after its Taycan Turbo S re-set the record for a production electric car at seven minutes 33.350 seconds, more than two seconds faster than the previous benchmark set by a Tesla Model S Plaid.

The Tesla’s record time, clocked in September 2021, stood at seven minutes and 35.579 seconds, around the full 20.832km layout of the track.

Porsche originally set the electric benchmark time on a slightly shorter 20.6km layout of the circuit in 2019 with a pre-production version of the Taycan Turbo – the model grade below the Turbo S – at 7:42.30.

The 20.832km layout – which includes an addition section of the final straight for a complete lap, rather than the 20.6km layout, which excludes this 232m stretch – is what has been used for official Nurburgring lap record keeping since the end of 2019.

Vehicles of similar pace to the Taycan and Tesla typically require an additional five seconds to cover the additional 232m – so the 2019 Taycan Turbo’s time around the 20.832km layout would be closer to seven minutes and 47 seconds.

Porsche factory development driver, Lars Kern, was at the wheel for the new record and — after disputes about the specification of vehicles claiming record times at the Nurburgring, with fewer interior panels than production versions — the German sports-car company went into detail on the specification of its Turbo S.

“The sports sedan was equipped with the new performance kit and Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control [i.e. active anti-roll bars] and – aside from the required roll cage and racing seats – was an entirely standard production vehicle,” said Porsche.

“It weighed the same as the series production car. A notary was on hand to verify the new record time on the 20.8-kilometre circuit in Germany’s Eifel region, while TÜV Rheinland [an independent inspection expert] confirmed that the record-breaking road car was a standard production model.”

“The performance kit includes 21-inch RS Spyder Design wheels with road-approved, Pirelli P Zero Corsa sports tires that are now available for the Taycan. Their tire compound is similar to that of racing tyres,” said Porsche.

“Another element of the performance kit is a software update to the Porsche 4D Chassis Control so that it works in harmony with the sports tires. The system analyzes and synchronizes all the chassis systems of the Taycan in real time.”

Kern was also driving the record-setting Taycan in 2019, and reported a big difference in the 2022 record run.

“With the new performance kit I was able to push even harder, and the car was even more precise and agile to boot,” he said.

The performance kit is sold through Porsche Tequipment and is currently only available in Germany for the 2023 model-year Taycan Turbo S.

“We’re delighted that the Nürburgring record for electric cars is back in Porsche hands,” says Kevin Giek, vice-president for the Taycan model line.

“This lap time not only shows how much potential lies in our new performance kit, but also confirms once again the sports car genes of the Taycan.”