Traditionally, being a gearhead meant loving the beautiful harmony and vibration from a powerful engine. It meant wrapping your head around at the sound of rumbling exhaust or the rough idling from performance camshafts. There will always be a place in a gearhead's heart for screaming exhaust and powerful, oversized engines. However, the day may have come where electricity has taken the place of fuel and silence replaces the traditional sounds of roaring engines at a dragstrip.
The Tesla Model S Plaid has entered the stadium, and it's nothing to sneeze at. It comes in swinging with supercar power and speed, lighting-quick reflexes, and an all-electric drivetrain. The Model S Plaid can be a family sedan or your competition's worst nightmare at the track. Whether you are a traditional gearhead or not, there are several things you should know about the Tesla Model S Plaid.
10 Quicker 0-60 Mph Time Than A Lamborghini
The Tesla Model S Plaid is lightning fast, with a 0-60 mph time of 1.99 seconds. The battery power motor and drivetrain provide instant torque, launching the Tesla to this supercar fast 0-60.
The Lamborghini Huracán Performante comes from a long line of Lamborghini supercars and comes stacked with a powerful V10 engine. However, this is considered the fastest Lamborghini, and it registers a slower 0-60 than the Tesla at 2.4 seconds. This gives the Tesla Model S Plaid some serious bragging rights.
9 Quarter Mile In Under 10 Seconds
Performing the quarter mile race in under 10 seconds is an impressive feat for any street car. It used to take a lot of money in parts to get a street car to drive faster than 10 seconds in a quarter mile.
Production cars are getting faster and faster these days due to advances in technology. The Tesla Model S Plaid is one of those production cars that shows just how far technology has come and runs a respectable 9.23 second quarter mile. That makes this car one quick battery on wheels.
8 Fastest Family Car
The words "fast" and "family car" aren't often found in the same sentence, but they certainly belong together when it comes to the Tesla. The Model S Plaid is a four-door sedan with all the handy items you would find in a standard family car. You get seats for the kids, cup holders, a nice stereo system, and enough storage space for a bicycle in the back.
This model comes with "Plaid Mode" which, when activated, gives you access to all the power and speed that throws you back in your set as you hang on to the Knight Rider-style steering wheel. Imagine picking your kids up from school in the fastest family car money can buy.
7 Ghost Hunting In Style
Ghost hunting is usually done while in a dark, unlit house or building while using cameras and voice recorders to try and document ghosts. However, legend has it that you can ghost hunt from the comfort of your car now.
Stories have been popping up on social media and news outlets that Tesla's autopilot mode has been picking up unidentified human-like objects on the screen while driving through cemeteries. Observers of this phenomenon has stated that when their screen shows a person in view, no one was outside of the car, lending the speculation that the system is picking up evidence of a ghost. Whether you believe this or not, it makes for a fun story to tell your friends, or a scary story for the kids at bedtime.
6 Instant Torque For Powerful Launches At The Track
Internal combustion engines need to work hard in order to produce the maximum amount of torque and horsepower. In essence, revs need to build up to deliver maximum performance. This leads to a much slower launch than an electric car with instant torque.
The Tesla Model S Plaid produces 1050 lb-ft of torque instantly off the line. All the electricity provided by the battery and electric motor are applied instantly to create instant torque at zero RPM, however, as the motor and generator spin faster while racing down the track, the car produces less torque.
5 Enough Juice For A Day At The Track
The Tesla Model S Plaid has an estimated range of 396 miles on a full charge. Tesla claims that the Plaid can recharge 187 miles of range with only 15 minutes of charging at a V3 Supercharger station.
Depending on how far away the track is from your house, you should be able to find a charging station close to the track and top off your charge. Plaid Mode will significantly drain the battery, so if you drive sensibly until you get to the track you should have plenty of juice to make a few successful, screaming passes down the track.
4 A Supercar And A Family Car All In One
When you say supercar, people think about McLaren, Ferrari, and Lamborghini. A supercar is a street-legal, extreme-performance, luxury sports car. Generally, supercar and family car don't fit in the same sentence, perhaps with the exception of the Dodge Charger, BMW M5, and certain Audi station wagons.
The Tesla Model S Plaid could easily be called a family car, with its four doors and features that would be beneficial to families, such as roomy seating and plenty of storage space. An argument could also be made that this family car is also a supercar in hiding, with its lightning-fast speed and horsepower that rivals and even exceeds several legendary supercars.
3 Power, Luxury, And Economy Combined
The Tesla Model S Plaid comes with a hefty price tag starting at $129,990. Although the price might be higher than the average sedan, you get luxury, extreme power, and decent economic benefits with the electric drivetrain.
Does this car have everything you want for the price? That's up to you to decide. One thing is certain though, the Tesla Model S Plaid has a great mix of extreme power, many sought after luxury options, and an estimated range of 396 miles on a charge.
2 More Technology Than You Would Ever Need
Technology has come a long way since the days before airbags and seatbelts. Many cars now come standard with headlights that turn on and off by themselves, remote start, and even dual-climate air conditioning.
The Tesla Model S Plaid comes fully equipped with technology you never thought you would need. You will find yourself with options like adaptive air suspension, all-wheel drive, and driver information display. It even has "Full Self-Driving" which includes automated parking, and a "Summon" feature that enables the vehicle to drive unmanned to the owner in a parking lot situation.
1 A Powerful Car Without The Expense Of Gas
Many gearheads want a powerful vehicle but suffer at the expense of gas and poor fuel economy. We now live in a world where power and fuel expense don't have to be in the same sentence.
Tesla has developed this high-tech car with all more power than you could imagine, without the expense of gas or worrying about fuel economy. Sure, you have to charge the car and that might cost a little, but the cost is far less than that of fuel prices. Depending on electricity prices, it might cost approximately $16 to fully charge your Tesla, however, to fill up the tank on a 16-gallon sedan would cost $48 at $3 per gallon.