Hacked Tesla Model S Plaid hits record-setting 348kph

Audio recorded of record-breaking attempt resembles that of a plane taking off

2021 Tesla Model S Plaid. Courtesy Tesla
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A Tesla Model S Plaid hit its fastest recorded speed after its vehicle software restrictions were hacked by a software company.

Guillaume Andre, chief executive of Ingenext, took his Tesla vehicle for a drive on Thursday at Trois-Rivieres Airport in Quebec, Canada.

Mr Andre shared a clip on Facebook showing his car reaching 348 kilometres per hour on the tarmac.

Audio captured in the video resembles a plane taking off as the Tesla reached its top speed.

Ingenext had made previous attempts to set the record-breaking speed, but literally ran out of space to do so.

Trois-Rivieres Airport briefly shut down its three-kilometre runway to allow the software company to attempt the record-setting drive.

The attempt eclipsed the top speed of 322kph Tesla had promised when it first announced the Model S Plaid, but after it was released last year, the car was shown to have a top speed of 262kph.

Tesla then released the Plaid Track Mode to help the vehicle go slightly faster.

Though the Model S Plaid is a four-door family sedan, Tesla claims it has the fastest acceleration of any vehicle in production, with a peak of 1,020 horsepower.

The vehicle can go from 0-96kph in less than two seconds, car publication Motor Trends reported in 2021, but it takes 15 minutes to set up.

Most drivers would not be able to reach that kind of performance on a regular road, Tesla said.

Updated: July 01, 2022, 8:54 PM