The Tesla Model S Plaid is the fastest accelerating production cars in the world, and by far the fastest accelerating sedan ever made. The ‘Plaid’ is basically the ultimate performance version of the electric Tesla Model S. Plaid is, in this way, similar to M for BMW and AMG for Mercedes-Benz. But the Model S Plaid is faster than anything M or AMG.
The Plaid needs just 1.99 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour. The quarter mile is done in 9.23 seconds with a 155 miles per hour trap speed (speed at which the car travels across the finish line), beating cars like the McLaren 765LT, the Dodge Challenger Demon, and even the Ferrari LaFerrari. Top speed is 200 miles/322 km per hour, a new EV sedan record.
The Model S Plaid has a tri-motor all-wheel drive power train, with one motor over the front axle and two motors over the rear axle (compare with dual motor setup). The motors are mated to a 95 kWh battery pack located between the axles under the floor of the vehicle. Output of the S Plaid is 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. Range is 348 miles EPA or 637 kilometers WLTP.
Many buyers of fast Tesla’s take their vehicles to the track, where they usually destroy everything else that comes around. To improve track performance even further, Tesla now offers a carbon ceramic brake kit for the Model S Plaid. The kit costs a cool $20,000 on top of the $130,000 purchase price of the car itself. The kit includes carbon-silicon carbide brake rotors, one-piece forged brake calipers, and high-performance brake pads. The front brake rotors have a diameter if 410 millimeter and a width of 40 millimeter, the rear brake rotors have the same diameter and a 32 millimeter width. The front calipers have six pistons and the rear calipers four. Also included are a set of caliper-mounted parking brakes and a bottle of brake fluid.
Tesla will roll-out comparable carbon ceramic brake kits along its lineup, beginning with the Model X followed by the Model 3 and Model Y. The only exception, perhaps, is the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck, which seems an unlikely track weapon. But Tesla didn’t expect folks to bring the S to the track either, and with 800 hp on tap, some may take the Cybertruck to the races anyway.