At this point, there probably aren’t many who haven’t heard of the You’re here Model S Plaid. Whether you follow Tesla, Elon Musk’s projects, electric vehicle news, world speed records, autonomous vehicles, gaming tech, or just general automotive news, the Tesla Model S Plaid has been on the favorites list for quite some time.
With all the social media teasers, racing videos, and even press releases, what do you really know about the Tesla Model S Plaid? Is this really the beast on the trail that she claims? Does he really own the world speed record? Is mind-blowing acceleration possible? Can you really play Cyberpunk 2077 while pushing you to work?
In short, is the Tesla Model S Plaid now delivered already everything Musk promised? We’re already stressing because Musk himself said, “I say something, and then it usually happens. Maybe not on time, but it usually happens. So we ask again, is the Plaid already everything Musk claims?
There is certainly a lot of hype and also a few enemies; but what is there real in the world beyond the ridiculous? Here’s what you need to know about Tesla Model S Plaid.
9 Quarter mile time: 9 seconds (yes, stock)
The Tesla Model S Plaid is marketed with a 9.2-second quarter-mile performance specification at 155 mph. This was confirmed at Bakersfield’s Famoso Raceway in California as Jay Leno watched and a National Hot Rod Association official was on hand for the race.
Tesla Plaid’s 0-60 time record was official on May 11, 2021 with a speed of 9.247 and a trap speed of 152 mph. While 9.2 is impressive on a level beyond ridiculous, it may have gotten even better! In a recent drag strip session, a Tesla owner recorded his Plaid with a quarter mile of 8.944.
8 0 to 60: less than 2 seconds (without warning)
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Two seconds was the standard benchmark in the fastest 0-60 mph times for a production car. Tesla markets its Model S Plaid with a record 0 to 60 in 1.99 seconds. Their claim indicates that it is with the deployment time subtracted.
Some opponents confirmed the time with an asterisk, claiming the less than two-second clock was kept, but only under specific conditions. DragTimes put that aside by posting a confirmation video with an unprepared street test that addresses Tesla’s claims 1.99. They report multiple executions with and without deployment.
seven Top speed: 200 MPH
The Tesla boasts a top speed of 200 mph for its Model S Plaid. In this claim, they clearly state “when equipped with paid hardware upgrades.” This is a theoretical period and there is speculation about what these upgrades are and when they will be available.
Either way, last September a tweet from Elon Musk revealed the Plaid’s official world speed record as an unmodified production EV. Pending upgrades, 167 mph was the top speed in this session. Not quite yet, the promised 200 mph, but that certainly doesn’t mean it can’t.
6 Peak power: 1,020 HP
The Tesla Model S Plaid boasts 1,020 horsepower. The power of the Plaid comes from an electric motor driving the two front wheels and two others driving each of the rear wheels.
The trio of engines produce 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque. Although Tesla has a “hidden” dyno mode, the Plaid’s instant torque was a deterrent for a dyno test. DragTimes tried it with and without dyno mode. Their trial is shown in the report Plaid Almost Breaks a Dyno.
5 Coefficient of drag: lowest on earth
Tesla’s Model S Plaid has been heralded as the “world’s lowest drag car”. A drag coefficient of 0.208 is given for the Plaid.
According to InsideEVs, it’s not a new number, but Tesla has made it a target. The Plaid’s 0.208 Cd outperforms the Lucid Air at 0.21, which, when published, was the lowest aerodynamic drag coefficient of any luxury car.
4 Range: 396 miles
The charging range advertised on the Tesla Model S Plaid is 396 miles. Car and Driver tested the performance of the Plaid and found that it performed 80 percent of that. They said, “It was closer to the EPA than any other Tesla.”
Tesla reports that drivers can overload up to 200 miles in just 15 minutes. They reassure the ease of charging by stating that there are more than 30,000 Superchargers available in the world.
3 Ready to play: PS5 level abilities
Elon Musk teased Tesla’s gaming capabilities. No longer a match, but a real feature for the Tesla Model S plaid, with 10 TFLOPS on board.
Potential buyers will notice that the Plaid’s interior media shots show The Witcher on the infotainment screen. Musk in demonstration Cyberpunk 2077 in the Plaid to show cutting-edge computer technology on par with the PlayStation 5.
2 Most expensive upgrade: full autonomy
Buyers who want full autonomous driving capabilities will drop an extra rack on the Tesla Plaid cost. Is it worth $ 10,000? Autopilot, not to be confused with fully autonomous driving mode, allows the car to steer, accelerate and brake under the “active supervision” of a driver.
The optional full autonomous driving upgrade adds automatic lane changes, invoking automatic car recovery and automatic parking. Tesla announces instant over-the-air software updates.
1 Price: Base MSRP less than $ 124,000
A three-motor, all-wheel-drive Tesla Model S Plaid build price starts at $ 123,740. Clean Fuel Reward and other potential incentive gas savings are available to some buyers, potentially reducing costs by $ 6,250.
The wheels can be upgraded from the 19-inch Tempest to the 21-inch Arachnid for $ 4,500. Pearl White Multi-Coat exterior color is standard in the base price. Solid Black, Midnight Silver Metallic, and Deep Blue Metallic will add $ 1,500, while Multi-Coated Red will increase the cost by $ 2,500. Interior options are all black with carbon fiber decor for the base price with black and white or cream for $ 2,000. As we mentioned earlier, an additional $ 10,000 will add full autonomous driving capabilities to the Plaid.
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