Organizers of the Electric GT Championship have been hard at work preparing to launch the new race series. With the inaugural race set to happen in 2017, the clock is ticking, and the pace of logistical development has ramped up in the new year. In addition to a continued effort to fill out a field of 10 teams and 20 drivers (including green racer Leilani Münter), EGT also recently made the switch from the Tesla Model S P85D to the gnarliest of the bunch, the P100D, detailed in the video above. Now, Autocar says, there's also a tentative starting date for the series of August 12, 2017, at Silverstone.
The identical examples of the Model S that each driver will pilot aren't stock, and have been improved even beyond the requisite safety modifications. Renamed by EGT as the P100DL, the race-spec Tesla's unmodified drivetrain produces 778 horsepower and 734 pound-feet of torque. Keeping the same battery pack and motor "makes the championship more valuable for Tesla road customers," Electric GT CEO Mark Gemmel tells Autocar, "as our racing cars are closer to what they drive so you're essentially seeing a production vehicle on circuit."
The EGT car is about 1,100 pounds lighter than the factory model, though. As a result, the P100DL is slightly quicker, doing 0-62 mph in 2.1 seconds. The front splitter and rear wing produce some 122 pounds of downforce at the nose, and 203 pounds in the back. The car features a steel double-wishbone pushrod-operated suspension up front, with twin dampers and springs in the rear. In dry weather, it'll use Pirelli PZero slicks, with Pirelli wet tires for rain. Single-pedal hydraulic race brakes will help slow the car down.
As for the schedule, Gemmell says it's "provisional," as EGT works with authorities to lock down dates:
Each event will consist of a practice session, qualifying, then two races (one during the day, one at dusk), both around 37 miles long. They'll be available for streaming on YouTube, Twitch, and Periscope, and every car will have a permanent live feed.
Related Video:
The identical examples of the Model S that each driver will pilot aren't stock, and have been improved even beyond the requisite safety modifications. Renamed by EGT as the P100DL, the race-spec Tesla's unmodified drivetrain produces 778 horsepower and 734 pound-feet of torque. Keeping the same battery pack and motor "makes the championship more valuable for Tesla road customers," Electric GT CEO Mark Gemmel tells Autocar, "as our racing cars are closer to what they drive so you're essentially seeing a production vehicle on circuit."
The EGT car is about 1,100 pounds lighter than the factory model, though. As a result, the P100DL is slightly quicker, doing 0-62 mph in 2.1 seconds. The front splitter and rear wing produce some 122 pounds of downforce at the nose, and 203 pounds in the back. The car features a steel double-wishbone pushrod-operated suspension up front, with twin dampers and springs in the rear. In dry weather, it'll use Pirelli PZero slicks, with Pirelli wet tires for rain. Single-pedal hydraulic race brakes will help slow the car down.
As for the schedule, Gemmell says it's "provisional," as EGT works with authorities to lock down dates:
- 12 August – Silverstone, UK
- 2 September – Assen, Netherlands
- 23 September – Nürburgring DTM Circuit, Germany
- TBC – Algarve, Portugal
- 28 October – Misano, Italy
- 18 November – Barcelona, Spain
- 25 November – Paul Ricard, France
Each event will consist of a practice session, qualifying, then two races (one during the day, one at dusk), both around 37 miles long. They'll be available for streaming on YouTube, Twitch, and Periscope, and every car will have a permanent live feed.
Related Video:
Related Gallery Electric GT Tesla Race Series
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