The Tesla Model S 2020 will feature the new three-motor system called 'Plaid'

The three-motor ‘Plaid’ system Tesla will arrive in the new Tesla Model S in 2020. The electric powertrain, made up of three high-performance motors, will be used in the next challenge at the Nürburgring, where it aims to beat the new Porsche Taycan, and will be offered in the Tesla Model S and the Tesla Roadster, as Elon Musk has confirmed.

In a series of tweets from the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, it has been confirmed that the Tesla Model S will adopt a new three-motor, ultra-high-performance powertrain configuration. In the tweets, Musk states that the new powertrain is “a year away” and will also appear in the Tesla Model X and the Tesla Roadster, but not in the upcoming Tesla Model Y or the recently launched Tesla Model 3.

The head of Tesla has also confirmed that the improved powertrain will cost more than any of its current offerings, but will still cost “less than the competition,” perhaps hinting at the recently unveiled Porsche Taycan, which costs around 150,000 euros in its flagship Turbo S form.

The news comes after a Tesla Model S P100D+ fitted with wider wheel arches, a rear spoiler and an aggressive grille was spotted testing at the Nürburgring earlier this week, with the intention of beating the Taycan’s lap time of seven minutes and 42 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hmdmYRYt9A

Will the new three-motor Tesla Model S manage to beat the Taycan’s Nürburgring record?

Although Elon Musk originally tweeted that the electric car would go for the lap-time record this week, it is now understood that the German circuit may have offered it a 30-minute window in a couple of weeks due to his busy schedule.

The Tesla Model S is already said to hold a lap record at Laguna Seca Raceway, one of the most famous tracks in North America, and to tackle the 21 undulating kilometres of the Nürburgring, it seems Tesla is looking to recruit talent. Some sources point to former Formula One champion Nico Rosberg, with the German claiming he is “still in discussions” about driving the updated Tesla Model S in his final race.

Elon Musk also states that the Tesla Model S currently being tested at the Ring is fitted with seven seats. This is perhaps the first indication of how powerful Tesla expects the ‘Plaid’ powertrain to be, since two extra seats over the standard five of the Tesla Model S would result in considerable additional weight, but would allow it to freely claim the lap record as the “fastest seven-seater.”