Tesla’s Model S Plaid Track Package adds a much-needed brake upgrade and a new top speed.
The range-topping Tesla Model S Plaid still hasn’t made it to Australian shores, but the US marque has already launched a Track Package upgrade, bringing a range of performance improvements to the electric saloon. Costing an additional $20,000 (cAUD$29,000), the package adds new wheels, tyres, a comprehensive brake upgrade and a raised 322km/h top speed.
Available in the US from the middle of this year, the Track Package upgrade swaps the Plaid’s 21-inch wheels for 20-inch forged aluminium items, now wrapped in sticky Goodyear Supercar 3R tyres (285-section front, 305-section rear). Most significant is what lies behind those wheels, with 410mm carbon ceramic discs (front and rear), uprated fluid and new six-piston front, four-piston rear calipers designed to improve braking performance to match the car’s output and weight. The new braking system can also be optioned separately from the Track Package, which also lifts top speed from 282km/h to 322km/h.
In 2022, Tesla also released Track Mode via an over-the-air update, giving the battery’s heat pump thermal management system a boost for more effective cooling, allowing the powertrain to provide maximum thrust for longer. There’s also a post-drive cooling system that helps reduce cooldown times between sessions. Battery preconditioning will also begin the moment Track Mode is selected to ensure you receive all 740kW as soon as possible, with brake temperatures also said to be improved through an increase in regenerative braking.
Track mode also unlocks more aggressive torque vectoring between the Plaid’s three motors, improved throttle response, a new setup for the adaptive dampers, performance displays on the dash and the ability to create custom presets for traction control, power distribution and suspension.
Peak power for the Plaid is rated at 740kW, delivered by a trio of new carbon-sleeved motors. Though they produce less in this application, Tesla engineers say each motor is capable of delivering around 294km/h given more advanced battery technology. It’s claimed 0-60mph (97km/h) sprint is currently pegged at 1.99sec (with a 1ft rollout), completing the quarter-mile in 9.23sec at 155mph (249km/h) and reaching a top speed of 147km/h with the Track Package. While it’s hardly lightweight at 2162kg, this figure does make it around 200kg lighter than Porsche’s Taycan Turbo S.
Despite the intense performance, Tesla claims that the Plaid can cover around 625km miles on a single charge. Charging speeds have also been improved, with the Plaid able to utilise all 250kW of the firm’s new V3 Supercharger stations – a 25kW improvement over the latest Model S and X models.
​The Plaid features torque vectoring which might go some way to counter its hefty kerb weight, with adaptive air suspension also standard. Also new is an upgraded heat pump for better cold weather performance and a radiator twice the size of its predecessor. The latter is said to allow for back-to-back launches and spirited driving without performance degradation – something Porsche ensured was covered in its electric flagship.
Also part of the Model S’s 2021 facelift was a brand new interior, swapping its predecessor’s portrait display for a 17-inch landscape unit. Unlike in the Model 3, the driver is also treated to a 12.3-inch display behind the steering wheel, with an 8-inch unit making an appearance in the back for rear seat entertainment. Both the new yoke-style steering wheel and lack of improved seat bolstering are questionable, but the Plaid does appear to feature seat perforations for improved grip. The wood trim of the Long Range is also swapped for carbonfibre.
The Plaid’s exterior is near-identical to the Long Range, with only minor tweaks made to the front and rear bumpers for improved cooling. 19-inch aero-centric wheels come as standard, however 21-inch ‘Arachnid’ items can be fitted for a premium. The drag coefficient has been improved over the outgoing model, with an impressive 0.208 figure outdoing even Porsche’s slippery Taycan.
Stacked up against its arch-rival, the Porsche Taycan, it seems a good value offering on paper. The range-topping Taycan Turbo S comes at a premium over the Model S Plaid, but is quite some way down on claimed straight-line performance and range.