A Hacked Tesla Model S Plaid Achieves A Record
The Tesla Model S Plaid has an official top speed of 175 miles per hour . But what if it could go faster?
That’s a question a man called Guillaume André asked as he proceeded to get behind the wheel of a white Tesla Model S Plaid at the Trois-Rivières airport in Québec, Canada.
What Is The Tesla Model S Plaid
The Model S Plaid has actually been in development for some time now, even if it was initially thought of as an upgrade package for the new Tesla Roadster, not the Model S. It was even previewed in prototype form at the Roadsters unveiling back in November 2017. Even if that may still end up being the case, the Model S is apparently getting first dibs on the upgrade now that word is out that the Model S Plaid is not only happening, but its also already in the middle of development.
Weve seen the juiced-up Model S make headlines recently, too. The Model S Plaid has also appeared at the Nurburgring. These things tell you that the Tesla Model S Plaid is closer than its ever been to arriving, and while we dont know the full scope of details surrounding the car, we know enough about it to call for this post.
Refreshed Tesla Model S Has A Knight Rider Steering Wheel
According to NotATeslaApp.com, a website that tracks Tesla updates, this new Track mode includes different cooling system programming, including running the heat pump more often and more aggressively to keep the powertrain at lower temps for optimum performance. The new programming includes “post-drive cooling,” as well, increasing the driver’s chances of taking multiple runs on a track with minimal performance degradation.
Track Mode also makes use of the Plaid’s adaptive suspension, automatically dropping the ride height to Low immediately and tweaking the adaptive damping rates to enable more confident high-speed performance.
Driveline changes include stronger regenerative braking and, perhaps more importantly, increased torque-vectoring control for sharper handling.
The Model S Plaid starts at $135,940 including mandatory destination, document and order fees.
Finally, Tesla has added a host of display-related Track Mode features to help drivers make the most of their track sessions. These include telematics and video-capture capabilities, as well as a G-meter, lap timer and cooling-system monitor.
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Via Images Of The Flagship Tesla Sedan’s Certificate Of Conformity It Will Have A Tow Hitch As Standard And A 300 Km/h Top Speed
The Tesla Model S Plaid has reportedly arrived in Europe, and it seems deliveries have started. This became somewhat clear after new Plaid owners posted various messages and images online. According to Teslarati, Plaid owners in Germany posted images of the Model S’ Certificate of Conformity.
A Certificate of Conformity ensures that goods can move across Europe freely. It also has important information about the product. In this case, there are some details about the Euro-spec Model S Plaid that were previously unknown. Assuming it’s confirmed that deliveries have actually started and the images are real, we now have information about the Plaid’s top speed and towing.
Teslarati found the images of the certificate on a German Tesla forum. The publication credits user s3bbo for posting the images. The owner placed the Model S Plaid order in January 2021 and waited nearly two years to take delivery. We’ve included the screenshots below:
As you can see based on the extensive information on the second page above, the electric flagship sedan’s top speed is listed at 300 km/h, which equates to about 186 mph. While the Model S Plaid is listed on Tesla’s website with a 200 mph top speed, the automaker hasn’t yet provided a software update to take it to that level.
The European document also shows that the maximum top speed of 322 km/h or 200 mph will require the optional Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit. Teslarati notes that the kit is supposed to be available this fall for $20,000.
Watch The Tesla Model S Plaid Hit Its 173 Mph Top Speed With Track Mode
The Tesla Model S Plaid’s Track Mode also allows it to do some pretty epic donuts
Tesla recently updated the potent Model S Plaid with a Track Mode feature that doesnt just boost the EVs top speed but allows owners to play around with various powertrain settings. Brooks from the DragTimes channel on YouTube recently put these updates to the test.
When first launched, Tesla claimed that the Model S Plaid would be able to hit 200 mph but shortly after customer deliveries began, it was revealed the EV was actually capped at 163 mph and would need a software update to hit the 200 mph mark. While the new Track Mode feature does boost the cars top speed to 173 mph , it is still anywhere near 200 mph.
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Nevertheless, the YouTuber swiftly put the improved top speed to the test and was able to reach it with very little effort along a perfectly-straight stretch of road in Nevada.
Track Mode brings with it a number of other updates that were tested. For example, you can customize the handling balance to be 100 percent front biased, 100 percent rear biased, or anywhere in between. Owners can also tweak how much stability assist they want and customize the regenerative braking from zero to 100 percent. Importantly, the handling balance settings only work when the steering wheel is turned, meaning you cannot change it to 100 percent rear-biased and do a burnout at a drag strip.
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The Air Sapphire Is Proof That Lucid Motors Was Hell Bent To Annihilate Its Rivals
Jason Cammisa describes the newest Lucid super-sedan as the triple motor nightmare for Elon Musk, and it seems true. The Model S Plaid has been without significant updates for some time, but that does not mean it has lost its charm. The Air Sapphire in the video is a pre-production development prototype and is unlikely to hit the market at the beginning of 2023. However, this prototype is downright impressive to make you switch from team Tesla to team Lucid.
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Like the Lucid, the Model S Plaid sports a tri-motor powertrain, but the combined output is 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of twist. However, the Lucid Air Sapphire is supposed to crank over 1,200 horsepower from a similar electric motor arrangement . Still, we estimate that its curb weight is significantly higher than the Tesla because the Lucid is more luxurious inside. Despite its weight, Lucid recently estimated that the Air Sapphire could do 0-60 mph in 1.89 seconds, 0-100 mph in 3.87 seconds, and even a quarter-mile in under nine seconds.
Blink And Youll Miss The Corvette And Tesla Take Off
Going up against a Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 would be a daunting experience for anyone. The Z06 in this case however has a supercharged Magnuson 2650 blower 6.2-liter engine that produces 1,400bhp. On the first pace of the night, the Vette reaches 150mph in 9.20 seconds, which is the driver’s fastest pass to date. The opponent is a Tesla Model S Plaid with peak performance and when both cars start off you can see just how powerful the Tesla is. The Z06 is quicker off the line, which proves to be the deciding factor here, as the Tesla actually had a higher speed at the finish line. With them side by side for the entire race, a photo finish proves that the Corvette was faster than the Model S Plaid by only 0.06 seconds.
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Tesla’s Nurburgring Jaunt Could Be A Sign Of Things To Come
Ahh, yes. The Nurburgring Nordschleife. It is arguably the most famous race track in the world. Its also the track that seemingly every automaker uses to test out its new wares in preparation for an eventual lap time that will determine where it stacks up in the tracks famous production car lap record standings. For the longest time, Tesla has resisted bringing any of its vehicles to the Nurburgring for one reason or another. But something happened along the way that seemingly forced Teslas hand. Porsche released the Taycan EV and unleashed the Taycan Turbo variant on the Nurburgring, where it set the record for the fastest four-door electric car with a lap time of 7:42.
So, why didnt Tesla perform an official timed lap if it knew that it could handily beat the Porsche Taycan Turbo? Perhaps it has something to do with the faster and more powerful Taycan Turbo S, which has yet to set a lap time around the Nurburgring. Can the latter make up the supposed 20-second gap between the unofficial lap time of the Model S Plaid and the official lap time of the Taycan Turbo? I dont think thats going to happen without the Porsche wearing a set of super sticky tires, but then again, anything can happen on the Nurburgring.
Either way, this is setting up for quite a showdown between two models the Model S Plaid and the Taycan Turbo S that will be fighting for four-door electric car supremacy in the near future.
Tesla Increases Model S Plaid Top Speed To 175 Mph
After releasing its 2021.44.30 software update for the Model S Plaid, bringing Track Mode, Tesla has also increased the top speed of the electric sedan as well.
A new video from Carmines Import Service shows the Model S Plaid hitting 175 mph , then braking . Previously, the Model S Plaids top speed was limited to 163 mph .
Tesla originally advertised the top speed of the Model S Plaid as 200 mph but in November, detailed the latter would only be possible with paid upgrades, such as proper wheels and tires.
The YouTube channel also shared a quick hands-on overview of Track Mode, which you can see below:
According to Carmines Import Service, the latest 2021.44.30 software update for the Model S Plaid has introduced what they believe to be a changed brake pedal feel , described as better than the Model 3. Its unclear if this is actually new or not, but thats what they described it as.
With Track Mode, Tesla appears to be enabling owners to push their Model S Plaid vehicles to the near limit, allowing them to reach a higher top speed once they hit the track. Well keep you posted as more videos will likely hit YouTube soon of Model S Plaid owners putting Track Mode to the test.
The top speed increase means the Model S Plaid is now also faster than the Lucid Air Dream Edition, which has a 168 mph limit, that previously edged out Teslas electric sedan that was only at 163 mph.
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What Is The Tesla Model S Plaids Top Speed
Is the Model S Plaid the fastest Tesla model available, or are there other Teslas that are faster? Iâm really interested in Teslas right now so Iâm trying to learn more about the fastest options.
175 MPH2.0-second 0 to 60 MPH acceleration timeTesla Roadsteralmost 250 MPHAspark Owl250 MPH1.72 seconds
What Is The Max Speed Of The Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S Plaid is the fastest production electric car ever produced, with a top speed of 216 mph. This is the maximum speed of the Tesla Model S, and it is the highest speed of any production electric car currently available. The Plaid also has the longest range of any production electric car, with up to 390 miles of range on a single charge. This makes the Tesla Model S Plaid an ideal choice for those looking for an electric car that can go the distance and achieve the highest top speed.
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The Tesla Model S Plaid Humiliates Highly
The Tesla Model S Plaid crashes a party humiliates a 1,300-HP GT-R, a McLaren 720S, and a couple of Dodge Vipers
By now, its clear that the Tesla Model S Plaid is the ultimate troll among modern, high-performance vehicles. Youve probably seen it go up against the likes of V-12 Lambos, Ferraris, as well as some heavily-modified stuff, only to wipe the floor with them . This time, we have a video from the YouTube channel DragTimes, in which a Tesla Plaid crashes a party and ruins the day of a few very fast vehicles.
The Tesla Model S Plaid attends a supercar meet with some epic machines gathered there, including a couple of Dodge Vipers, among which a Generation five ACR, McLaren 720S, and a 1,300-horsepower Nissan GT-R. The main rival of the Tesla for the day, however, is the quickest Hellcat-powered pick-up truck the Dodge RAM 1500 TRX.
Tesla Model S Plaid Highlights And Features
For the uninitiated, here are some specs and features of the Tesla Model S Plaid:
– Based on the Model S
– Features a tri-motor setup
– 0-60 mph in 1.99 seconds
– Quarter-mile run in 9.23 seconds with a trap speed of 155 mph
– Top speed of 200 mph
– Worlds most aero-efficient car – Drag coefficient of 0.208
– Estimated range of 396 miles
– Supports fast charging up to 250 kW and can add 187 miles of range in 15 minutes
– F1-inspired, yoke steering wheel
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Three Electric Motors Open Up A Lot Of Possibilities
Of all the things about the Tesla Model S Plaid that have been talked about, the prospect of a three-motor setup is what everyones excited about. Its a huge leap for Tesla after initially offering a single electric motor for the Model S when the electric sedan arrived in 2012. Tesla upped the ante in 2014 when it released an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S with an electric motor in the front and rear axle. Since then, thats the only setup Tesla has used on the Model S, and that raises interesting possibilities on what a third electric motor can do to help the electric sedan improve its power and performance capabilities.
How big that output increase is will depend on how crazy Tesla is. That bump in output will also have an effect on the sedans performance times, and weve already seen what the Model S Plaid is capable of when it set Laguna Seca on fire with a blistering lap time of 1:36.555. The Tesla Model S Plaid will become the fastest and most powerful version of the Model S. Thats almost a certainty, though by how much is the question.
Theres still the matter of figuring out what kind of layout Tesla will go for when it launches the Model S Plaid. Is it two electric motors at the front and one at the back or vice-versa? Whatever it decides, we can be sure that such a setup is going to unlock a level of performance that we havent seen from the Tesla Model S before.
Watch A Tesla Model S Plaid Speed Past 200 Mph For The First Time
The Tesla Model S can actually hit 200 mph if you take off the limiter and find a big enough airstrip.
The officially usable top speed of the 1,020 HP Tesla Model S Plaid is 175 MPH, electronically limited, and only available in Track Mode. The car has enough power to go well beyond the limiter, so Canadian tuning company Ingenext cracked its software to remove the top-speed restriction and aimed its Tesla at a runway to see how fast it could go.
It turns out the answer is fast. Tesla has officially stated that the top speed of the Model S Plaid is 200 MPH, but no version of the car has ever been released with the limiter removed to hit those speeds, leaving its actual performance a bit of a mystery. Now for the first time, on the 1.8-mile-long, closed runway, it was able to smash through 200 MPH with ease it hit 216 MPH before running out of room. This puts it in extremely rare territory for EVs, with only the Lotus Evija and the Rimac Nevera able to claim similar top speeds. Granted, to achieve that speed, a software crack was needed to remove the limiter on the Tesla, and the high-speed Plaid needed bigger brakes plus some Michelin Pilot Super Sports thrown on, but other than that, it was a stock car without any performance modifications to the drivetrain. Notably, unlike the Evija and the Nevera, it has four doors and costs six figures instead of seven.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach her here: victoria.scott@thedrive.com.
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Home And Destination Charging
Charging is possible by using a regular wall plug or a charging station. Public charging is always done through a charging station. How fast the EV can charge depends on the charging station used and the maximum charging capacity of the EV. The table below shows all possible options for charging the Tesla Model S Plaid. Each option shows how fast the battery can be charged from empty to full.
Wanna Go 200 Mph In Teslas Model S Plaid Heres What You Need
The wheels and tires are available, but the software isnt.
If you dive into the Tesla Model S Plaid configurator, you’ll find lots of caveatsjust like you would in our First Test. One of the biggest was regarding the Model S Plaid’s claimed 200 mph top speed. “The indicated Plaid top speed requires proper wheels and tires which will be available in Fall 2021.” According to Tesla, the wheels and tires necessary for 200 mph are available on the Plaid now, but what isn’t is a software update needed to hit said speeds.
Two sets of wheels are available on the Model S Plaid. Standard are 19-inch “Tempest” wheels, while optional are 21-inch “Arachnid” wheels, which come standard with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires . It’s the latter set of wheels and tiresthe 21-inch onesthat are needed if you’d like your Plaid to eventually be able to hit 200 mph. Tesla says this wheel and tire package has recently been validated at the claimed top speed.
That being said, early Model S Plaid owners with the Arachnid wheels can’t yet hit that 200 mph top speed. Until a software update rolls out “in the future,” all Model S Plaids will be limited to 163 mph.
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