Hacked Tesla Model S Plaid Flies Past 200 MPH On A Runway

Our only regret watching this video was not watching it with a group of Tesla haters. Yes, the Tesla-stans can be abrasive but the often misguided negativity towards a pioneering American company is frustrating. The reality is that Tesla is one of the big three automakers now (Sorry, Stellantis isn’t American) and the Tesla Model Y is now the most American car in production. Then there is the performance of these EV cars, they out-accelerate supercars, they crush circuits with the track pack and now, the Tesla Model S Plaid top speed will embarrass most exotics.

Recently, a few Tesla-bros up in Canada decided to hack the speed limiter in the Model S Plaid and the big EV sedan soared past the 200 barrier to hit 216 mph!

The video proof came courtesy of a narrator mostly talking about the details of the software hack technology in a French Canadian accent at Trois-Rivieres airport in Quebec. While there might be too much chit-chat, the video shows the Model S in-cabin video tear up the strip and hit 216 mph, which turned from white to red color after 190. From the factory, Tesla advertised a 163 mph top speed, then later 175 mph with the Track Mode update. However, the company also promised a 200 mph top speed at one point, which was dismissed as another Elon fantasy.

However, with the Tesla drive software unlocked, 200+ mph was already residing inside the Plaid powertrain. Tesla tuning company Ingenext CEO, Guillaume Andre piloted the test car for a shake-down pass of the new speed hack module. Although the test run wasn’t very official including a third party, more instrumentation, and opposite direction runs to get the average speed in both head and tailwinds, the Ingenext module is legit and orders should start flowing in.

Who wouldn’t want an extra 41 mph of added top speed? Well, probably Tesla, which is developing a $20,000 carbon-ceramic brake kit for the Model S Plaid meaning they may charge more for a higher 200+ mph trim. Additionally, Tesla might develop more aero to reduce lift and keep the car planted because 216 mph is outrageously fast for an everyday luxury sedan. Tesla may also have to develop a better cooling system to maintain battery efficiency since the system was screaming louder than we have ever heard.

As one of the first few attempts, this was an impressive run. This particular airstrip was only 1.8 miles in length and the nearly 4,800-pound Plaid used most of it to hit top speed and then stop before the runway just ran out. The Model S was fitted with a Mountainpass big brake kit and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires that don’t really affect top speed but certainly were necessary for safety. At this lofty top-end and considering the Model S Plaid now runs 8-second passes at the drag strip, it looks like these EV super-sedans should have a roll-cage as an option now too.