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I had the rare chance to take a spin around Tesla's test track - here's what it was like

Welcome to Tesla's factory in Fremont. It's on the opposite side of the San Francisco Bay from Fog City. Tesla bought it from GM after the carmaker went bankrupt in 2009.

I had the rare chance to take a spin around Tesla's test track - here's what it was like
Slideshows1 min read

And here's the test track, seen from high above.

And here

It's very close to the factory, so Tesla can easily take vehicles there.

It

It isn't much to look at up close. Essentially, the 35-acre site, which Tesla purchased after buying the factory, is a working test area. It's not set up for racing by any stretch.

It isn

So why am I here? It's to meet Jeff Hickethier, a quality inspector who drives Teslas on the the track all day long.

So why am I here? It

Read all about Jeff's cool job here.

That's a Model S P100D Jeff's standing in front of — Tesla's top of the line performance sedan, capable of a 0-60 mph run in under three seconds.

That

I'm no stranger to tracking cars — here I am at a Ford track in Utah, sampling the pleasures of a Shelby GT350 Mustang — but Jeff will be doing the driving.

I

And we're off!

And we

As tracks go, Tesla's is pretty basic: straightaway, banked loop, straightaway, banked loop. Repeat as required. As you can see, the track is also well-loved. Nothing too fancy.

As tracks go, Tesla

The banked loops are the coolest part — and also a tad terrifying, because the track is so small. Tesla has the Brooklyn Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster of test tracks.

The banked loops are the coolest part — and also a tad terrifying, because the track is so small. Tesla has the Brooklyn Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster of test tracks.

Read all about the charms and dangers of the Cyclone here.

Let's go around for another loop!

Let

Jeff wasn't really hammering the Model S through the curves — it was a customer vehicle undergoing testing, after all — but he wasn't holding back, either.

Jeff wasn

In all, we racked up a half-dozen laps and conducted a speed run to sample to Model S's neck-snapping acceleration.

In all, we racked up a half-dozen laps and conducted a speed run to sample to Model S

Jeff's was having fun, but also doing his job. He uses the track to ensure that Teslas leave the factory free from anything that might impinge on safety or come off as a driving flaw to an owner.

He also clearly enjoys his "office." Sure, it isn't quite Fiorano. But it's Tesla's track, and it has its own special mojo.

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