Tesla Model S Track Package unlocks 200 mph top speed

Tesla Model S finally has a chance to fully live up to its potential. Nobody in their right mind would ever dispute the Model S being powerful or fast but everyone knows how inadequate its standard brakes are. For that reason alone, and lack of suitable rubber, Tesla limited the top speed of its super sedan to 155 mph (250 km/h) which was unusually sensible on the part of the company that gave us glorified auto-parking, called it Auto Pilot, set us free on the highway and waved goodbye.

If you already own the Model S Plaid or planning on buying one, the new Track Package is a no-brainer. While the standard brakes may be enough for daily driving, slowing down the nearly 5,000 lb (2,237 kg) electric rocket repeatedly from high speed proved too much for the standard 355 mm steel rotors. The internet is awash with videos and articles with owners complaining, screaming, or climbing out of their smashed-up Model S after its brakes gave up.

Model S Plaid track pack coming soon pic.twitter.com/a2YtxnVu22

— Tesla (@Tesla) May 4, 2023

The new brakes are a substantial upgrade - the front gets 410 mm (40 mm wide) carbon-silicon carbide rotors. The clamping is done by a single-piece forged 6-piston caliper equipped with high-performance brake pads. The rear discs have the same diameter and are carbon-silicon carbide as well but are slightly slimmer at 32 mm and the rear caliper has 4 pistons. The company hasn't forgotten to include a track-ready brake fluid.

The Track Package requires a 20” set of Zero-G wheels wrapped in Goodyear Supercar 3R tires. The front gets 285/35 tires while the back gets the beefier set of 305/30 rubber. Of course, TPMS is still present to keep an eye on the pressure while barrelling down the straight. The standard 19” Tempest wheels are unfortunately too small to fit over the upgraded brakes but the 21” Arachnid rims are fine.

Since the Model S Plaid came out, it was promised to be capable of the 200 mph top speed but the company never unlocked it. Few people found a way around it but the brakes were always an issue. In the end, Plaid became the slowest 1,000+ hp car on the road simply because it had inadequate brakes.

The Track Package isn’t cheap - without the wheels, you’re looking at $15,000, and with the set Zero-G and tires the total is $20,000. Tesla Model S Plaid after many recent price changes finally settled on an MSRP of $107,490 which, when you compare it to any car out there with over 1,000 hp, is a bargain.

Even with the Track Package, Model S is still $120,000 cheaper than the Lucid Air Sapphire. What other road-legal cars with over 1,000 hp are out there? Bugatti Chiron or Centodieci? The latter one starts at $9 million. How about Rimac Nevera or its better-looking twin Pininfarina Battista? That’ll be $2.5 million and you don’t even get back seats for that money.

It’s official - Tesla Model S with the Track Package is a bargain track tool, it has enough power to outrun pretty much any car out there, it can stop now, and - if there’s any charge left in the battery - after a day of hooning about you can go pick the kids up from school and tell them all about the busy day you just had. As long as you remember that at full speed, Tesla’s 100 kWh battery pack will only last about 15 minutes. And you have to wait till June before the new upgrade goes on sale. Yeah, there’s always a catch.

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