Tesla’s performance record broken by Porsche Taycan Turbo S

There’s a new king of high-speed battery-powered cars, one that comes from a manufacturer with particular expertise in circuit driving.

Porsche has beaten Tesla’s lap record at Germany’s famous Nurburgring circuit.

The German manufacturer says the Porsche Taycan Turbo S completed a lap of the 20.8 kilometre track in 7min 33.3sec, making it the fastest electric car in production.

Lars Kern set the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Nurburgring record.

That effort, recorded by development driver Lars Kern, undercuts the 7min 35.sec mark of Tesla’s Model S Plaid by more than two seconds.

The 2023 model year Taycan Turbo S benefited from a new performance kit including lightweight 21-inch wheels, high-performance Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres, and a software update allowing its electronically controlled suspension to make the most of the new rubber.

The Taycan beat a record lap time set by Tesla’s Model S.

The 560kW sedan reached 268km/h during the lap, benefiting from a two-speed transmission that gives it a performance advantage over most electric cars.

But it fell short of the fastest times set by petrol-powered V8 sedans, including the 7min 29.8sec mark of Porsche’s V8-powered Panamera, the 7min 29.5sec of BMW’s latest M5, or the 7min 27.8s of Mercedes-AMG’s GT 63 S.

The wild Mercedes-Benz AMG GT63 four door remains the fastest four-door, four-seat track car.

While the Porsche runs out of puff just shy of 270km/h, the nine-speed transmission in Mercedes’ heavy hitter allows it to reach 298km/h on the Nurburgring, or 315km/h if you can find a longer straight.

Expect the electric car performance battle to heat up in the near future, powered by fresh metal such as the Tesla Roadster, Lotus Evija, Pininfarina Battista and Porsche’s electric successor to the Cayman GT4.

Originally published as Tesla’s performance record broken by Porsche Taycan Turbo S