Yahoo! Autos 2013 Car of the Year: Tesla Model S

PayPal co-founder Elon Musk’s foray into the car game started in 2008 with the nimble Tesla Roadster. But where that coupe was a high-tech experiment disguised as a $100,000 eco-conscious status symbol, the much anticipated seven-passenger, $50,000-on-up Model S sedan promised to be a make-or-break machine that would determine whether Silicon Valley-based Tesla could survive as a legitimate purveyor of reliable everyday cars.

While the Model S is content to (very) quietly amble on down the road as you take in its optional 580-watt Studio Sound Package ($950) stereo, simply flexing your right foot turns the car into a stealth fighter.

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Inside, the Model S favors a modernist look.

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S