Well, it has to be some kind of racecar, right? This mongrel Tesla Model S Plaid is missing most of its body. Or rather, it has a new aluminum body replacing the previous one. So why would someone butcher up a Model S for a few trophies? 

This has been an ongoing metamorphosis of a Model S by the BoostedBoiz. They’ve been drag racing the S with the goal of breaking the previous quarter-mile record of 8.73 seconds. To that end, they’ve been trying out different approaches. At some point, they decided that removing the back half of the Tesla was the way to go. 

What was the BoosetedBoiz Tesla like before making the body?

So that’s what happened. Everything from the front doors back met a Sawzall fate. However, this was never a pristine Model S. It is what’s left after a wreck set it up for becoming a racecar. 

Since first hitting the quarter-mile, the EV has been an ever-changing chameleon. First, it hit the track without a body. In that guise, it ran stock wheels and tires but also got a roll bar. Its time was 8.83 at 149 mph. Impressive, but not good enough for a record. 

How much did the aluminum body help?

Changing out the stock wheel-tire combo for racing tires still was shy of the mark. The thought occurred that airflow was being disrupted just aft of the front doors as the atmosphere jockeyed around the seats, roll bar, and more. Deciding it needs a body to control the airflow, what you see is the result.

It’s not pretty, for sure. Actually, it is weird but also intriguing. And it shows that managing airflow can aid in lowering elapsed times. But the BoostedBoiz were still shy of the record in this form. Their best time was 8.79 seconds and 156 mph. 

Did the BoostedBoiz Tesla break the record?

The last modification in their quest was to replace the driver with a lighter-weight one. So their approach was addressing the three classic roads to faster times, weight, aerodynamics, and harnessing the abundant power with better tires. With all of that, they finally beat the record with am 8.71 et at 158 mph. 

Teslarati offers this question: Should the record stand, or should it only apply to EVs with bodies? Another way to ask it is: How far can modifications go? 

Technically, changing the tires is modifying a stock Tesla. So, if modifications are allowed, then how can the rules say some modifications are OK while others, like parring away part of the body, are not? If an EV exhibits its stock wheelbase, motors, and battery, and with the driver sitting in the stock location, then isn’t it still a stock Tesla?