Tesla Model S Plaid Track Package Unlocks 200-MPH Top Speed
Tesla says it will offer a Track package for the Model S Plaid starting in June, meaning the car now claims to hit a top speed of 200 mph.The package adds carbon-ceramic brakes, new 20-inch aluminum wheels, and Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R tires.The extra goodies cost $20,000, but the carbon-ceramic brakes can also be ordered on their own.
Tesla is introducing a long-promised Track package for the Model S Plaid, vowing to finally unlock the electric sedan’s full performance capacity. The Tesla Model S Plaid sprinted to 60 mph in just 2.1 seconds in Car and Driver testing in 2021 but had been restricted from hitting its 200-mph top speed due to weak brakes, instead topping out at 162 mph. The addition of upgraded brakes follows the arrival of a Track mode last year that allowed adjustment of the stability control and improved cooling, among other changes.
Tesla had promised a carbon-ceramic brake package since the Plaid’s launch in 2021 and claimed the package would be available last summer, although it’s unclear if Tesla ever installed the more powerful brakes on any cars. Now the upgrade is officially here, adding six-piston forged front calipers and four-piston forged rear calipers with high-performance pads. These clamp onto 16.1-inch carbon-silicon carbide front and rear rotors. Tesla also says the package includes “track-ready” brake fluid, and the carbon-ceramic brake kit can also be bought separately from the rest of the Track pack.
Along with brakes, the package adds new wheels and tires. The new aluminum forged wheels, which Tesla calls “Zero-G,” are wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R tires measuring 285/35R20 up front and 305/30R20 in the rear. The new brakes are also compatible with the 21-inch “Arachnid” wheels but not the 19-inch “Tempest” rollers.
The price is listed by Tesla as “$15,000-$20,000.” We believe that the $15,000 tag nets you the carbon-ceramic brake kit on its own, while handing over the full $20,000 brings the full Track package including the wheels and tires, but Tesla hasn’t clarified. The Model S Plaid Track package will become available in June 2023, and can be retrofitted to 2021 and newer Plaid models.
Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
