Musk wrote his comments on Twitter soon after Porsche held a series of events in Europe, Asia and North America this week, presenting the new vehicle. In one tweet, the billionaire inventor reminded Porsche parent company Volkswagen Group about the 2014 scandal, when Volkswagen had installed “defeat devices” on more than a half-million diesel cars in the US and more than 10 million others worldwide, including models from Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche, which made the cars appear to comply with environmental regulations while emitting more air pollutants than federal limits would allow.
In another, Musk roasted Porsche for use of the phrase “turbo” to describe a trim of the Taycan, urging Porsche to look up the definition of the term.
Turbochargers give internal combustion engines more horsepower without adding much weight to the vehicle – yet electric vehicles have a completely different type of powertrain. Porsche is instead using “turbo” to designate a faster version of their cars.
Musk also challenged Porsche to a duel on its home turf in Germany, with a tweet saying, “Model S on Nürburgring next week,” referring to the track at Nordschleife, which features challenging inclines, turns and road surfaces that serve as a testing ground for vehicles and drivers.
Although Porsche didn’t publicly reply to Musk’s challenge, 2016 Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg asked the Tesla CEO if they needed a “decent driver to do the lap” – and Musk agreed, noting that it would be great.
Porsche Taycan, which debuted on September 4, had recently completed the 12.8-mile course at the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife race track in 7 minutes and 42 seconds. This is the fastest lap for a four-door electric vehicle.
However, whether the race will take place next week remains uncertain. Road & Track reported that according to a representative for the German track Tesla had not sent a record request or rented an exclusive time slot at Nordschleife, which is otherwise booked for the season. Neither Tesla or Porsche have commented on Musk’s tweet or a possible upcoming battle.