The Tesla Model S Plaid is one of the fastest accelerating vehicles on the face of the planet and when it was first announced the company said it would be capable of going 200 mph. Somewhat unsurprisingly, that feature has yet to be unlocked by Tesla who claimed it would be capable of the feat with a special wheel and tire setup last fall. Now, a company called Ingenext has come up with a hack that allows the car to eclipse the mark and has proven that the Model S can indeed go 200.
Not unlike a tuner in a vehicle with a combustion engine, the software used in this test vehicle basically overrides software to provide more performance. Based in Quebec, Ingenext offers a slew of different EV-related products including controllers that can enable retrofitting of Tesla motors into different vehicles.
They clearly know how to work with these vehicles and they proved it at the Trois-Rivières airport in Québec, Canada. Ingenext has attempted to go over 200 mph before but has never been able to due to a lack of space. Now, they’ve set what seems to be the world record for a Tesla.
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The top speed indicated in the onboard dash was 216 mph or about 350 kph. According to the report, the only modifications to the sedan, other than the software hack, were the use of higher-performance Michelin Super Sport tires and bigger brakes from Mountainpass Performance. Those modifications were made in an effort to increase safety but they might indicate why this capability isn’t enabled in non-hacked vehicles yet.
Earlier this year, Tesla released an over-the-air update that added a track mode to the Model S Plaid which increased the top speed from 163 mph to 175 mph. The EV maker also introduced a new carbon-ceramic brake package to the praise of many who felt the stock brakes were underpowered.
While we will have to continue to wait to find out if or when Tesla will actually release a new update to enable 200 mph runs in stock Model S Plaids, we now know that the car itself is already capable of the feat. That’s special even if it took an aftermarket tuner to prove it.