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Tesla’s two Model S ‘Plaid’ variants are being benchmarked against each other
True to its word, Tesla has returned to the Nürburgring with two “Plaid” Model S units. Both vehicles have been spotted running hot laps since they arrived at the iconic German racetrack, and if recent observations are any indication, it would seem that Tesla has actually brought two variants of its track-capable Model S for its Nürburgring comeback. What’s more, it seems that Tesla is benchmarking the performance of the two Plaid Model S against each other.
Tesla’s Plaid Model S units in the Nürburgring could be differentiated by their color and rear badges. One is a blue unit with a Dual Motor badge, while the other is a red vehicle that’s marked P100D+. Recent reports and accounts from sources in the area suggest that these two vehicles do not have the same performance. While both are Plaid Model S prototypes, their track results suggest that they are somewhat different, perhaps along the same lines as Porsche’s Taycan Turbo and Turbo S variant.
- Tesla Model S P100D+ with Plaid Powertrain returns to the Nurburgring. (Credit: Teslarati)
- Blue Tesla Model S with Plaid Powertrain returns to the Nurburgring. (Credit: Teslarati)
- Red Tesla Model S P100D+ with Plaid Powertrain returns to the Nurburgring. (Credit: Teslarati)
The differences between the two vehicles were hinted at last month during Tesla’s first excursion into the Nürburgring. Observing the two vehicles, a photographer from motoring publication Motor Authority mentioned that the blue Plaid Model S was able to complete a lap around the iconic German track in 7:40, a couple of seconds faster than the record set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo.
The same photographer also recorded an impressive 7:23 lap with the red Model S Plaid unit, which is identical to a hand-timed lap reported by German media outlet Auto Motor und Sport. Quite interestingly, Tesla departed from its initial Nürburgring rounds after the red Model S Plaid unit seemingly broke down in the middle of a hot lap.
- Blue Tesla Model S with Plaid Powertrain returns to the Nurburgring. (Credit: Teslarati)
- Blue Tesla Model S with Plaid Powertrain returns to the Nurburgring. (Credit: Teslarati)
- Red Tesla Model S P100D+ spotted at the Nurburgring without a rear diffuser (Photo: Teslarati)
- Red Tesla Model S P100D+ spotted at the Nurburgring without a rear diffuser (Photo: Teslarati)
These two vehicles returned to the Nürburgring this week. This time around, the Plaid Model S units sported a refreshed widebody kit that included side vents, and in the case of the blue unit, a massive rear diffuser reminiscent of the one used by Tesla in the next-generation Roadster. Images taken of the red Plaid Model S’ return to the nearly 13-mile closed circuit revealed that the vehicle was not equipped with a rear diffuser, though it had the same side vents and large rear spoiler with Gurney flap found in its blue sibling.
Interestingly, images recently acquired by Teslarati reveal that Tesla has installed the same large rear diffuser in its red Model S at the Nürburgring. The vehicle was brought over to the track at the back of the truck, and once on the road, it was clear that the additional aeros have been installed on the vehicle. A closeup picture of the track-capable flagship sedan further revealed that the red Model S Plaid was fitted with a front lip spoiler as well.
- Tesla spotted delivering a red Tesla Model S P100D+ with 2nd set of aero improvements to the Nurburgring track (Photo: Teslarati)
- Tesla spotted delivering a red Tesla Model S P100D+ with 2nd set of aero improvements to the Nurburgring track (Photo: Teslarati)
- Red Tesla Model S P100D+ spotted at the Nurburgring with upgraded aero package (Photo: Teslarati)
- Red Tesla Model S P100D+ spotted at the Nurburgring with upgraded aero package (Photo: Teslarati)
- Red Tesla Model S P100D+ spotted at the Nurburgring with upgraded aero package (Photo: Teslarati)
- Red Tesla Model S P100D+ spotted at the Nurburgring with upgraded front spoiler (Photo: Teslarati)
With these images in mind, it appears that Tesla is currently testing how each Plaid Model S prototype performs on the Nürburgring with and without additional aeros. This suggests that Tesla is likely benchmarking the two Model S Plaid units against each other, potentially as a way to refine and tune each vehicle’s performance for closed circuit driving. These efforts ultimately bode well for Tesla’s upcoming Plaid versions for the Model S and Model X, as the electric car maker appears to be leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to develop a flagship vehicle that can attack one of the racing world’s most notorious tracks with no hesitation.
Elon Musk has mentioned a few details about Tesla’s upcoming Plaid Model S. For one, the vehicle will have three motors, similar to the next-generation Roadster, which is equipped with one electric motor at the front and two at the rear. Musk also stated in a recent tweet that the production Plaid Model S, which will reflect the final iteration of the car that will set Tesla’s official Nürburgring record, is set to enter its manufacturing stage sometime in Summer 2020. Pricing for the Tesla Model S Plaid variants have not been revealed by Tesla, though Elon Musk has mentioned that the vehicles will be priced higher than the current top-tier Raven Model S Performance with Ludicrous Mode.

News
Tesla’s Cybercab fleet jumped 8x in a month, with Dallas up next
Tesla confirms its first official Cybercab fleet number as Austin scales fast and Dallas looms.
Tesla says more than 300 Cybercabs are now serving Austin, the first time the company has put an official number on its active Cybercab fleet. The figure came from the Robotaxi account on X on Saturday, which wrote that one month after launch the service had “scaled to 300+ Cybercabs serving Austin – an 8x increase in 30 days.”
Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of AI software, quoted the post with a line that carried the bigger news. “Two years since the 10/10 Cybercab WeRobot event, the cabs are everywhere in Austin now. Dallas soon,” he wrote. It is the first time Tesla has named the next city for public Cybercab rides.
One month after launch, we’ve scaled to 300+ Cybercabs serving Austin – an 8x increase in 30 days https://t.co/EagJy2JAsm
— Robotaxi (@robotaxi) October 10, 2026
Tesla opened Cybercab rides to the public in Austin on September 4, as Teslarati reported, a day after an invite only launch event. The ramp since then has been steep. Our September 28 report had the fleet at well over 100 units after availability jumped from 58 to 125 in a single week. On Thursday, Tesla added 150 Cybercabs to the Texas automated vehicle registry, lifting its registered count to 319 from 169. The first seven appeared on the registry on August 31.
RobotaxiTracker, a community site that counts vehicles from sightings and state records, listed 275 vehicles in unsupervised service in Austin on Saturday, 105 of them Cybercabs, which is well below Tesla’s figure. Tracker counts can lag official numbers, though Sawyer Merritt noted that Cybercab wait times in Austin stayed short on Saturday evening even with more than 2,000 fans in town for X Takeover.
Regulators are watching the rollout. NHTSA opened an audit query into Tesla’s certification that the Cybercab meets federal safety standards, and sworn answers are due October 30. Tesla reports third quarter earnings on October 21, which gives the company a natural venue to define its fleet numbers and put a date on Dallas.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk roasts India’s billionaire Mukesh Ambani as Starlink fight heats up
Elon Musk sarcastically calls Mukesh Ambani ‘Prime Minister’ as the Starlink India standoff escalates again.
Elon Musk escalated his public fight over Starlink’s launch in India on Friday, addressing Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” in a sarcastic post on X. “Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India,” Musk wrote, before accusing Ambani of “monopolistic exploitation” and asking whether he would “consider allowing Starlink to compete.” In follow up posts, he said Starlink has proven essential during natural disasters and would help parts of India with no internet access.
The post came two days into a fight that Musk sparked up on Wednesday, when he said Starlink was “being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people.” He called it “a crime against the people of India” and left the names out, adding only, “You can guess who they are.” Jio and Airtel together hold more than 80% of India’s telecom market. On Thursday, Musk asked whether Ambani is “the real boss of India” and said Starlink has spent five years complying with “every single law and requirement” of the Indian government.
Dear Prime Minister Ambani,
Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.
Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?
There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better.
Thank you 🙏
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2026
India’s government has pushed back each time. The Ministry of Communications called the suggestion that its framework is unfair or discriminatory “baseless and misconceived.” Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Friday that three companies hold satcom licenses: Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications, and Bharti backed Eutelsat OneWeb. Amazon’s Kuiper, now Amazon Leo, is still going through the process. None can launch until regulators finalize satellite spectrum pricing and the Home Ministry signs off on each company’s security compliance. Scindia said the telecom regulator and the Department of Telecommunications are close to a decision on pricing, The Hindu reported. Bharti chairman Sunil Mittal also said OneWeb is still waiting on approvals.
Starlink received its operator license in 2025 after a three year wait, and the space regulator IN-SPACe granted what industry executives called the last approval needed in July. The holdup since then centers on security, particularly concern that foreign operators could bypass Indian gateways.
Musk and Ambani have been on opposite sides of this before. In late 2024, Ambani argued for auctioning satellite spectrum, which Musk criticized as out of step with the rest of the world, and India chose administrative allocation instead. By March 2025, the two sides had signed a deal to sell Starlink devices in Reliance stores, and Starlink secured its telecom license that June. That partner is now also a competitor. Jio is reportedly weighing a constellation of 1,600 to 1,650 satellites costing an estimated $10 billion to $15 billion, while Akash Ambani has told shareholders Jio plans to lease capacity from global providers to move quickly.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s surprise addition to the X Takeover lineup has fans talking
Elon Musk will join Saturday’s X Takeover at Giga Texas for a live virtual interview.
Elon Musk will join X Takeover at Giga Texas on Saturday for a live virtual interview, according to Sawyer Merritt, who shared the news late Thursday. Musk will not be on stage in Austin. The conversation is set to stream for free on the @teslaownersSV account on X.
Organizers had kept expectations in check. In a September update, Tesla Owners Silicon Valley said Musk had appeared at the event twice before but was not promising a third appearance, even as fans hoped he would walk the Giga Texas grounds in person. A virtual spot matches 2024, when Musk gave a surprise interview of about an hour to the crowd in San Luis Obispo, as Teslarati reported at the time.
Wasn’t expecting this 🫡
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 9, 2026
This year’s edition is a first in several ways. It is the first X Takeover held outside California and the first at a Tesla facility, with tickets selling out in eight days. Tesla provides the venue, but the event is produced independently by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley. The main event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, followed by a drone and light show at 9 p.m. Maye Musk is the keynote speaker, Franz von Holzhausen is set for a virtual keynote, and Nicki Minaj is the special guest. Joe Tegtmeyer, whose drone footage Teslarati used to track the Optimus factory steel frame at Giga Texas, is also on the speaker list.
Musk’s interview topics have not been revealed, but the backdrop is busy. Tesla doubled its Cybercab fleet in Austin in late September, and last week Musk explained why Robotaxi hours only moved from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.. Merritt also reported Thursday that Texas DMV records now show 319 registered Cybercabs, up from 169. NHTSA’s deadline for Tesla’s sworn answers on Cybercab certification is October 30, and Tesla reports third quarter earnings on October 21.
Fans who cannot make it to Austin can watch the livestream on X. Musk tends to say more in unscripted settings than he does in prepared remarks, which is the reason this one is worth having open on Saturday.












