Tesla this week announced a new high-performance driving mode for the Model S Plaid. The Plaid Track Mode follows in the footsteps of the Model 3 Track Mode, adjusting the car’s features to prioritize driving on a race track.
“With Plaid Track Mode our goals were simple: achieve the quickest lap time for a production electric vehicle at Germany’s Nürburgring, and allow individual adjustability of stability control, handling balance, and regenerative braking to give drivers more authority over vehicle control at the racetrack,” the automaker said in a blog post from January 6.
Developed to take advantage of the Model S Plaid‘s 1,000 hp (1,014 PS/746 kW), the driving mode optimizes powertrain cooling, torque vectoring, and adjustable dynamics settings to help drivers get the fastest-possible lap times.
Read Also: Tesla To Add $20,000 Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit Option For Model S Plaid
To start, the setting drops the temperature of the battery pack as low as possible to create a chilled thermal mass. That, along with the shared coolant loops between the battery and motors, helps keep the whole system cooler for longer, allowing drivers to tap into the car’s performance for more laps.
Tesla’s engineers have also tapped into the power units to help steer the car. With torque vectoring, the company says that the Model S can send more power to the outside wheels in order to help rotate the car. It can also adjust the torque split from front to back in order to improve turn-in response. The Plaid Track Mode also increases regenerative braking power to its maximum in order to recuperate more energy, reduce the load on the brakes, and give the driver better controllability with a single pedal. It, along with the stability control settings, can still be adjusted in the infotainment screen.
Tesla’s Vehicle Dynamics Controller, meanwhile, is optimized to evaluate steering angle, accelerator position, and brake pedal inputs to determine where the driver wants to place the car and allow tire slippage in order to give them more control over it.
The car is also set to its lowest ride height and the adaptive suspension damping is optimized for track handling. Rebalanced damping allows the car to settle faster over bumpy segments like curbs while at the same time reducing pitch and yaw.
Finally, the driving mode comes with its own screen setting in the infotainment system that has a thermal monitor, lap timer, G-meter, dashcam video capture and telemetry, along with other options.
Tesla lists no price for the Track Mode and, since it is only adjusting the car’s existing features, there’s a chance it could be included in the price of the car. The automaker also recommends pairing the Plaid Track Mode with its recently announced Model S Plaid Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit, which is not included in the price of the car and costs $20,000.
