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The Tesla Model S Performance offers a 2.3-second 0-60 time and over 350 miles of available range.

Is the Tesla Model S Plaid the Fastest Production Car You Can Buy?

When it comes to building electric cars, there is no other brand that is more recognized today than Tesla. Just about any Tesla model that you choose will have all of the performance and battery range that you would need to appease your need for speed as well as the need to saving fuel for …

When it comes to building electric cars, there is no other brand that is more recognized today than Tesla. Just about any Tesla model that you choose will have all of the performance and battery range that you would need to appease your need for speed as well as the need to saving fuel for years. But what if you need supercar-caliber performance with the mileage range of a Toyota Prius? Then you’ll need the Tesla Model S Plaid.

What is the Tesla Model S Plaid?

Unless you have been living in a cave since 2012, you probably know what a Tesla Model S is. And you probably also know that it’s undergone some changes since then, including a facelift, larger battery packs, more performance, and more trim levels. But what you might not know is that a few days ago, Elon Musk announced the latest iteration of the Model S; the Model S Plaid.

You might be wondering why they labeled it the “Plaid” edition. The moniker is actually a reference to the movie Spaceballs, which is a comedy movie from the 80s. Anyone familiar with the flick will also be familiar with the reference to “ludicrous” speed, which is when the main villain’s spaceship goes into a super hyper-speed or when your Tesla Model S P100 Performance goes from 0 to 60 in 2.3 seconds. Apparently, “plaid speed” is faster than “ludicrous speed,” hence the name and hence the Model S Plaid’s ability to get to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds.

The Tesla Model S Performance offers a 2.3-second 0-60 time and over 350 miles of available range.
Tesla Model S | Tesla

The details are few

The Tesla Model S Plaid made its small debut a few days ago during Tesla’s “Battery Day” event when Elon Musk showed a short video of the car speeding through the Laguna Seca race track. In the video, the Model S Plaid was shown with some aero enhancements and it’s specs were shown on-screen: 0 to 60 in less than two seconds, a range of 520 miles, and a top speed of 200 mph.

If you hop onto Tesla’s website and click on the Model S Plaid on the configurator, you’ll get a little more information. According to Tesla, the car will have a tri-motor setup that will produce 1,100 hp and it will have the “quickest 0-60 time and quarter-mile acceleration of any production car ever.” That’s a bold statement, but consider it was able to finish a lap at Laguna Seca in just a minute and a half, we can believe it.

What does the Tesla Model S Plaid compete with?

It’s easy to say that the Tesla Model S Plaid is easily the quickest and fastest production car ever made, but when you compare it to other exotic and electric cars that currently in the market, you can get a better idea of what it means. According to Electrek, the Model S Plaid’s lap time at Laguna Seca is almost as fast as the Porsche 918 Spyder and the McLaren Senna, both of which will run you around $1 Million. But with Tesla’s new model, you won’t need to pay nearly as much for the same type of performance.

In fact, it’s only going to cost around $130,490, but if you want it loaded with all of the “Self-driving” equipment and special colors, then that price can jump to above $150,000. That’s a lot of money, but considering you’re getting one of the quickest and fastest cars in the world for the price of an Acura NSX, we would say that it’s well worth it.  

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