First up is the brake package and as some have found out (the hard way), the Model S Plaid’s brakes leave something to be desired when it comes to multiple high-speed runs. First, Tesla removes the original brake rotors and calipers and drains the brake fluid. Then a new set of two piece carbon-silicon carbide (aka carbon-ceramic) rotors with aluminum hats (that’s the part that attaches to the wheel hub) is installed. The front pair are 410 mm x 40 mm (16.1 inches in diameter) while the rear is the same diameter, but 32 mm wide.
Once set on the hubs, the forged aluminum calipers are installed along with a set of new, high-performance brake pads to match those carbon-silicon carbide rotors. These new calipers go from four-piston front, two-piston rear to six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers (with integrated parking brakes) for even more clamping force to offset the momentum a 4,766-pound missile is capable of at 200 mph. New, “track-ready” brake fluid is then pumped into the brake system while the Plaid’s firmware is updated to take advantage of these new brakes.
That’s not the only change that will come with the Track Package. A set of forged aluminum Zero-G wheels in 20×10 for the front and 20×11 for the rear will be fitted, then wrapped in a set of Goodyear Supercar 3R tires in 285/35R20 front and 305/30R20 rear. The Zero-G wheels also come with their own center caps, lug nut covers, and valve stems.
Last but not least, the speed limiter gets set to 200 mph, since all the supporting hardware can support that extreme velocity, allowing the Plaid to live up to its 200-mph billing.
For all that, Tesla is pricing the Track Package at $15,000 to $20,000. That sounds sort of high until you compare a similar front brake package from Unplugged Performance, a Tesla performance specialist not far from SpaceX. Unplugged’s six-piston kit with 394-mm (15.5 inches) carbon ceramic rotors and street/track pads is $8,995, but are also designed to fit the 19-inch Tempest wheels. These Tesla carbon-ceramic rotors and forged calipers, which you can order by themselves, will only fit the 20-inch Zero-G and 21-inch Arachnid wheels. The other advantage is that Tesla’s price includes labor, and you can also purchase the kit on the Tesla App and then schedule when you take your Model S Plaid in for this upgrade.
In all, this upgrade might not be as expensive as it seems from first blush. Even if you can’t afford it all in one go the wheels, brake kit, and updates are all things you can still order separately. It may cost more in the end due to additional labor costs, but you can still stage it. Then again, if you can’t afford the package in one go, you probably don’t own a Model S Plaid, either.
Read the full article here