Tesla has weirdly used a quarterly earnings call to drop blockbuster announcements about its extraordinary Model S, including some bizarre interior upgrades and a monster Plaid+ version that’s the fastest accelerating production car ever.
The three new models are already on sale; at the bottom end there’s a long-range dual motor starting at US$79,990, and in the middle there’s a 1,020 horsepower Plaid tri-motor at US$119,990. But the one that’s really got jaws on the floor is the new Plaid+.
Check out the raw specs on this thing. For US$139,990, you get yourself a conservative-looking 4-door family hyper-sedan with more than 1,100 horsepower. That accelerates from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in less than 1.99 seconds. That rips out sub-9 second quarter miles in smirking silence, leaving Koenigseggs, Bugattis, LaFerraris and Dodge Demons fighting over your scraps. That tops out at a supercar-level 200 mph (322 km/h). And that delivers these unbelievable performance figures while carrying enough battery for a massive range over 520 miles (837 km).
