Model S to the Nürburgring Next Week!

[Todd Burch]

Red red car is believed to be a lemon that was returned and reworked.

I know you’re just the messenger so this is not directed at you, but this sounds like an unlikely rumor just like “Tesla has no time booked at the track.”

I don’t know how this would be known. Tesla wouldn’t have told anyone this, and a journalist would have had to sneak up, get the VIN, and check it against some VIN lemon database.

I could be wrong, but my hunch is that this car starting out as a lemon is likely nonsense.

 

[MP3Mike]

I don’t know how this would be known. Tesla wouldn’t have told anyone this, and a journalist would have had to sneak up, get the VIN, and check it against some VIN lemon database.

I could be wrong, but my hunch is that this car starting out as a lemon is likely nonsense.

People pulled a Carfax report for the license plate that was on the vehicle.

 

[MC3OZ]

I know you’re just the messenger so this is not directed at you, but this sounds like an unlikely rumor just like “Tesla has no time booked at the track.”

I don’t know how this would be known. Tesla wouldn’t have told anyone this, and a journalist would have had to sneak up, get the VIN, and check it against some VIN lemon database.

I could be wrong, but my hunch is that this car starting out as a lemon is likely nonsense.

It was posted on TMC a few days ago..... but I guess it is just an unconfirmed rumour..

 

[whitex]

What is incorrect? The original P85D was speculated to have the the same suspension as P85+, that's why there's no "+" option for it, although there were never an official confirmation. The point is still there's never P85D+ or "+' option for P85D as some hsvr claimed.

The P85D description in design studio listed the plus suspension until April 2015, when it was discontinued along with Tech Package (when the AutoPilot was separated from Tech Package, and bunch of other repackaging changes). I happen to but one just before the changes, and can tell you it has one (owned a spring, a 2013 SAS and and still own a regular 2018 SAS car, you can tell the difference right away), also confirmed with a Tesla tech one of the times I was servicing the car. Finally, it shows up on Tesla alignment reports (when you pay them to perform an alignment and they give you a report). Search TMC for more information, but P85D's made before May have plus suspension (mine was produced beginning of May and is one of the last plus suspensions made), ones produced after had regular SAS. Of course this is Tesla, so you might find exceptions to the rule, maybe one day they were out of plus parts and made cars with regular SAS or vice versa.

 

[MC3OZ]

Interesting .....

SoylentBrown‏ @BrownSoylent 10h10 hours ago
We think the Model S with the new powertrain - and this is making quite a few assumptions about the car - is potentially capable of a sub-7 minute ring time. May need driver mod lol! Fight us...

 

[Todd Burch]

People pulled a Carfax report for the license plate that was on the vehicle.

I’m not sure that means much. It’s a US manufacturer plate on a prototype vehicle being used at a track in a foreign country. Not sure what the rules would be on that.

 

[nativewolf]

Red red car is believed to be a lemon that was returned and reworked.

They start with a used Model S, modify the body, put in a new battery and motors plus wiring and a lot of other components... only the basic shell of the original remains..

It is simply a cost effect way to produce prototypes,... it does mean they can make a few, where build a new prototype 100% my hand would be more expensive.

I have no idea of other car makers do this, but everyone should do it where possible.

I don't get some of the talk around modifying chassis and body though because the chassis and body are a pain in the ass. I think it more likely that other than some body panels the powertrain is really where things are happening though..I could see some suspension details changing that would the care less enjoyable to drive as a daily driver but more responsive on a track.

 

[gigawatt1010]

Since the Taycan is a "turbo", I wonder if the IMS bearings were replaced with the better, more reliable ones. (Porsche guys will get that joke).

 

[diplomat33]

Tesla installed superchargers at Nurburgring! Tesla just posted this awesome pic.

 

[St Charles]

Since the Taycan is a "turbo", I wonder if the IMS bearings were replaced with the better, more reliable ones. (Porsche guys will get that joke).

SHOTS FIRED!

 

[JammyP]

Tesla installed superchargers at Nurburgring! Tesla just posted this awesome pic.

I guess this is European spec as it looks like it is charging on the type 2?

 

[Erleichda]

LOL. Trolling German automakers. Healthy, fun competition is so welcome!

 

[nativewolf]

I know you’re just the messenger so this is not directed at you, but this sounds like an unlikely rumor just like “Tesla has no time booked at the track.”

I don’t know how this would be known. Tesla wouldn’t have told anyone this, and a journalist would have had to sneak up, get the VIN, and check it against some VIN lemon database.

I could be wrong, but my hunch is that this car starting out as a lemon is likely nonsense.

Exactly, why would they leave a vin there. First thing you'd put tape over.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Exactly, why would they leave a vin there. First thing you'd put tape over.

Love it, so a Tesla lemon blows the doors of a Porsche... that should be a headline..

 

[nativewolf]

Ok had to upvote you there. That would be funny as all get out. Hey honey..you know that car I returned because the gap in the panel was 1/8" well it just beat the porsche Toycan on the Ring....honey? where did you put the scotch? Oh, the door in the garage..has another hole down by my foot.

 

[billkatz]

SHOTS FIRED!

Wait - it was my understanding that the Turbo didn't have an IMS, hence no bearing problems!

 

[bxr140]

I’m not sure that means much. It’s a US manufacturer plate on a prototype vehicle being used at a track in a foreign country. Not sure what the rules would be on that.

I fully admit this is just mindless babble fueled only by lack of actual newsworthy information to come out of the ring, but...

Regardless the rules at the ring (I can't imagine they require plates) or more pertinently what Tesla knows about said rules, in California non-personalized plates (and not counting DLR or MFG plates, which the red car did not have) stay with the car when it transfers ownership. While I'm not privy to all the ways of the CA DMV, it is hard for me to imagine a scenario where The Man would de-issue, transfer, and re-issue plates to a different vehicle. Far more likely is that the different vehicle would simply receive new plates (if it were out of state, lost plates, etc.).

In other words--and keeping with the KISS philosophy--it is almost a certainty that the red car is as the carfax suggests. There is simply no obvious reason for it to be anything else.

Note that red car now has red lettered German plates [in presumably newer photos], which are dealer plates. Bitburg if I'm not mistaken, but someone smarter than me will have to explain why.

 

[Saghost]

BTW, any guess on range of this car if it makes into street form as is? It will have decent amount of down force, very sticky tires, and more drag. I am wondering what the range impact would be.

The dual rear motors that you can't sleep will be in a less efficient spot than the single front motor on the Raven (assuming the Plaid front motor can be put to sleep - not sure if that's true.)

Sticky tires and comprised aerodynamics.

I'm gonna make a swag that it uses twenty to thirty percent more energy per mile than a Raven in freeway cruising - and you can likely buy at least half that back by going to LRR all seasons.

That is still less energy per mile than many competing cars that are nowhere near as quick or tight handling.

 

[wws]

The dual rear motors that you can't sleep will be in a less efficient spot than the single front motor on the Raven (assuming the Plaid front motor can be put to sleep - not sure if that's true.)

Sticky tires and comprised aerodynamics.

I'm gonna make a swag that it uses twenty to thirty percent more energy per mile than a Raven in freeway cruising - and you can likely buy at least half that back by going to LRR all seasons.

That is still less energy per mile than many competing cars that are nowhere near as quick or tight handling.

If both rear motors are still induction motors, why can't they be put to sleep? The Raven uses a PMSRM motor in front, rather than in the rear like the Model 3.

 

[Saghost]

If both rear motors are still induction motors, why can't they be put to sleep? The Raven uses a PMSRM motor in front, rather than in the rear like the Model 3.

If they were induction, you could certainly sleep them. But they would also have the same rotor heating problem all of Tesla's other induction motors have.

I'm pretty sure the two rear motors on the Plaid are the same PMSR core we've seen throughout the lineup these days. Two of them gives about the same peak power as the big induction motor the Ludicrous cars had.

I don't know what the front motor is. For maximum sustained track performance it'd be a third PMSR, a standard Raven front package maybe. But then you couldn't sleep any of the motors during freeway cruise. Tesla might make it the older induction package instead and accept the rotor heating to be able to put it to sleep.