Tesla’s new upgraded S Plaid model is becoming the fastest car ever made and set the stage for an even more insane Roadster coming next year.
Tesla Model S Plaid
Tesla broke so much news at the same time last week that it was difficult to digest, including the fact that Tesla launched the fastest car ever made.
The automaker originally launched the Model S Plaid in September last year, but the vehicle was still more than a year away at that time, and we didn’t even know what it looked like.
With the launch of the S update model, Tesla updated its finishes, accelerated the launch of Plaid and announced a new Plaid + that will come in a timeline similar to the original.
The Model S Plaid is now listed with 390 miles of range, top speed of 200 mh and 1.99 seconds of acceleration from 0-60 mph.
The acceleration is fast enough to make the Model S Plaid the fastest car ever made:
| Car | Model year | Independent time | Manufacturer’s claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche 918 Spyder | 2015 | 2.1 s | 2.5 s |
| Porsche 911 Turbo S (992) | 2020 | 2.2 s | 2.6 s |
| Tesla Model S P100D | 2017[x] | 2.28 s | 2.4 s |
| Lamborghini Huracán Performante | 2018 | 2.3 s | 2.9 s |
| Bugatti Chiron | 2017 | 2.4 s | 2.4 s |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo S | 2020 | 2.4 s | 2.6 s |
| Tesla Model S performance with ridiculous mode | 2020 | 2.4 s | 2.3 s |
| Nissan GT-R Nismo | 2020 | 2.48 s | 2.5 s |
| Bugatti Veyron and Veyron Super Sport | 2005 | 2.5 s | 2.5 s |
At $ 120,000, it is also a fraction of the price of most vehicles on that list and is a 5-seater sedan, while most of these other vehicles are 2-seater sports cars.
Tesla is expected to start delivering the new Model S Plaid in the coming weeks.
Tesla Model S Plaid +
However, the situation is not as simple as Tesla accelerating the Model S Plaid timeline.
As Tesla confirmed during Battery Day last year, the new Model S Plaid’s acceleration of less than two seconds and the range of more than 520 miles should be enabled by the new 4680 battery cells and structural battery architecture.
Instead, Tesla just made modifications to the existing battery pack architecture and updated the chemistry of the 18650 battery cell to provide the Model S Plaid.
Combined with the new tri-motor powertrain, Tesla was able to achieve the promised acceleration of less than two seconds, but not the interval.
That’s where the Model S Plaid + comes in.
The vehicle will arrive at the end of this year and, with the new cell and battery architecture, will take the reach to Tesla’s original promise.
With the larger capacity battery and a few months of tuning the tri-motor powertrain, Tesla should also be able to deliver more performance with the Model S Plaid. The Model S Plaid + can be ordered now for $ 140,000.
Tesla Roadster
With these performances, Tesla is starting to make the Roadster less attractive. The Model S Plaid + would have similar performance, but in the shape of a 4-door sedan.
Of course, this is also a different market. Some people just want a sports car, but it is making things interesting.
With the same powertrain that would be on the Model S Plaid +, the Tesla Roadster would be able to achieve significantly greater range and slightly faster acceleration, thanks to the smaller form factor.
This would make it the fastest new vehicle on the market.
This could be more than enough to make it an attractive option, and therefore Tesla is also promoting a “SpaceX Package” to increase performance with cold air trusters.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently confirmed that the new Roadster is coming in 2022. The new Tesla Roadster has a starting price of $ 200,000.
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