On June 11, Tesla officially began sales of the Model S Plaid. Musk indicated that this vehicle is the fastest accelerating, with the lowest drag coefficient among all production cars in the world, while also featuring PS5-equivalent entertainment capabilities. Tesla began making scheduled deliveries starting on June 11, with the first 1,000 vehicles already on the way to owners.
Nine years ago, Tesla released the first generation of Model S. This year, however, Tesla has not only overhauled and upgraded the Model S, but also released the so-called strongest production car on earth, the Model S Plaid, which was officially available for sale on the 11th, and those who preordered the vehicle have already started taking deliveries, as previously mentioned.
During the announcement, Tesla CEO Musk personally demonstrated the new vehicle’s acceleration. After accelerating past 100 kmh in a straight line, he took a turn and drove the car directly onto the stage, thereby flamboyantly demonstrating why some call him a real life iron man.
Plaid refers to a checkerboard pattern, which is also used in racing flags in the automotive world. As such, the Model S Plaid emphasizes only one thing: absolute performance. According Tesla’s official data, this new vehicle is capable of doing 0-60 in 1.99 seconds (or 0-100 kmh in about 2.1 seconds), making it the fastest production car on the market today.
Musk also emphasized during the event that the Model S Plaid’s drag coefficient has been lowered to 0.208 Cd, which is also the lowest among all production cars today. This is achieved with all stock equipment, with no modifications done to the vehicle. Clearly this claim was given in response to Mercedes’ EQS, since in a previous announcement, Mercedes indicated that the EQS has a drag coefficient of merely 0.20, the lowest in the world. Musk hinted that EQS’ performance was measured in a passive setting, whereas the Model S recorded its coefficient in an active setting, which is a better reflection of real-life conditions.
In addition to official figures, Musk also demonstrated the newest Model S Plaid’s engine and its performance after a total revamp.
The new engine has a power of 1,020 hp and operates at up to 20,000 RPM. Most importantly, the Model S Plaid has a perfect power curve that addresses the previous issue of power drop-off, giving it sustained peak power throughout all stages. Even after accelerating past the 100 kmh mark, the Plaid can maintain max power output, thereby giving it a staggering top speed of 320 kmh.
In addition to its jaw-dropping performance, the latest Model S also saw upgrades to its interior with the addition of information panels in the backseat, dual fast chargers, 36W Type-C charging ports, support for multiple Bluetooth connections, and an AMD-powered processor architecture, giving it gaming performance on par with PS5. Musk also highlighted during the event how to play video games using the Plaid’s inbuilt console.
Finally, Musk indicated that deliveries of the new vehicles would start on the 11th, although he neglected to mention the Plaid+, which had previously been canceled. Musk also made no mention of news relating to the 4680 battery. Furthermore, Tesla’s official website noted that the stock wheels and tires are incapable of giving a top speed of 320 kmh, which can be enabled by new wheels to be released in the fall. Musk offered no comments on these matters as well.
It should be pointed out that the conventional definition of “production cars” refers to any model with a production volume of at least 50 units. In view of such a definition, the current top speed record holder is the Bugatti Chiron, capable of reaching 490 kmh. But Musk is certainly not lying, since the Chiron requires 2.4 seconds to reach from 0 to 100 kmh, compared to the Model S Plaid, which requires a mere 2.1 seconds, making the Plaid the fastest accelerating production car.
The Model S Plaid currently retails for NT$4.88 million in Taiwan according to Tesla’s official website. Those interested in the pursuit of top speed are definitely advised to give this vehicle some consideration.
(Image: Tesla)
