Yahoo Autos Watch a Model S Plaid Reach V-Max on the Autobahn
The Tesla Model S Plaid is one of the quickest machines you’ll find on any road in the world. With a tri-motor setup providing 1020 hp and 1050 lb-ft of instant electric torque to all four wheels, the EV is capable of laying the smackdown on everything on this side of the Rimac Nevera. Thanks to AutoTopNL on YouTube, we now have a chance to see one Plaid driver test the car’s top-speed claims on the German Autobahn.
We’ve all become accustomed to ridiculously quick 0-60 mph passes in the EV era. Brutal acceleration is the name of the marketing game when it comes to performance-oriented electrics, and the Tesla Model S Plaid ranks right near the top of the pack. Thanks to that tri-motor powertrain, the car’s capable of ripping off the 0-60 mph sprint in just 1.9 seconds. While that figure is no longer a world record, it’s certainly not bad for a 4800-pound sedan. Keep your foot in it and you’ll rip off a 9.2-second quarter-mile pass at 155 mph.
Reading those numbers on a page is one thing, but it's hard to really grasp just how fast this car is without seeing it in action. The 0-60 mph runs in the clip are as intense as one might expect, but the continued acceleration is the really freaky part. The rate at which the high-performance Model S pulls from 55 mph to 135 mph is almost hard to believe. That acceleration does taper off a bit as speeds reach in excess of 140 mph. In fact, the Plaid pulls hard until its limited top speed of 166 mph. Tesla does state that the Plaid is capable of 200 mph, but such a feat requires unique hardware components. One would hope that list includes a set of more effective brakes.
The Tesla Model S has come a long way since it first arrived in 2013. The world as a whole might be moving to electric vehicles in the coming years, but we'll always owe some debt to the Model S for showing everyone an EV didn't have to be a soulless appliance. That Plaid is the ultimate example of that legacy.
You Might Also Like
