The Tesla Model S Plaid is the most Tesla-like Tesla vehicle ever The Model S has been Tesla's flagship and the cutting edge of what Tesla can offer since its launch, but the Plaid trim takes it to new heights

With a focus on speed and power, Tesla is proud to say that the Model S Plaid is one of the fastest production cars on the road Tesla is proud to say that the Model S Plaid is one of the fastest production cars on the road It has all the high-tech features you'd expect from a Tesla, including the best range on the market

So, here's everything you need to know about the Tesla Model S Plaid, including pricing, release date, interior, 0-60 speed, and more

The Tesla Model S Plaid is on sale now, following Tesla's June 10 "delivery event," with prices starting at $129,990 Originally set at $119,990, the price was subsequently raised by $10,000 to $129,990

The Model S Plaid can be purchased directly from Tesla for a non-refundable order fee of $100 If ordered today, delivery is expected at the end of this month, much better than the standard Model S, which does not arrive until July at the earliest

What sets the Model S apart from the rest of the Model S series is its speed and power; "Beyond Ludicrous" is a term Tesla uses on its website, referring to the "Ludicrous Speed" scene in Spaceballs

While previous Model S models had only two motors, the Plaid and Plaid Plus have three This means that the Model S Plaid has 1,020 horsepower, a top speed of 200 mph, and can go from 0-60 mph in 199 seconds According to Tesla, this is "the fastest accelerating car currently in production"

Tesla also announced that the Model S Plaid broke the quarter mile world record in June, covering that distance in just 92 seconds

This is all in line with the Model S Plaid's performance at the Laguna Seca Race Track in California According to unconfirmed reports, the car set a new record by completing a full lap in 1:2992 This time is 04 seconds faster than the car's previous time

In addition, the Model S Plaid is powered by Tesla's new "Palladium" motor, which uses a carbon-sleeve rotor that promises increased power and efficiency while reducing overall size Coupled with a new drag coefficient of 0208, this means that the Model S Plaid can go places without wasting precious wattage

Elon Musk also revealed a new heating system that will benefit potential Tesla owners in colder regions The new system is said to improve the car's efficiency in cold weather by 30% and reduce the energy needed to heat the cabin in freezing conditions by 50%

Both Model S Plaid models look almost identical to each other and to the existing Model S

They have all the same options in the frame of the sedan that everyone is familiar with Aerodynamics, style, choice of 19" or 21" wheels, it's all there It also has the same 28 cubic feet of cargo space, a secure front trunk, and room for five adults

Both Tesla Model S Plaid models come standard with Autopilot, which provides limited steering, acceleration, blind spot warning, and braking in the lane

It is also possible to add "fully automatic" Autopilot for an additional $10,000, which includes lane change assist and automatic navigation on highways If this is too expensive, one can choose the FSD subscription service for $199 per month and get all the same features for considerably less money There are also no obligations or contracts, so you can cancel whenever you want

Full self-drive is not fully driver-free autonomous driving, so be sure to pay attention to the road at all times

The Tesla Model S Plaid is also speculated to include a retractable spoiler, underscoring how powerful and lightweight the car really is However, this particular feature apparently did not make it past the prototype stage and is not included in the production model

The Tesla Model S Plaid features a 123-inch driver display, an 8-inch second-row display, and a 17-inch infotainment touchscreen This infotainment display includes a 10 teraflop gaming computer with wireless controller support

Tesla also redesigned the interior for a more comfortable ride The front seats have more headroom and legroom, and the rear seats are wider overall The new models also feature hidden vents, and, like the Model 3 and Model Y, users can control where air flows through one of the two touchscreens in the car

The Model S Plaid's infotainment system has been significantly revamped with new graphics, a completely new customizable user interface, and improved gesture controls This should make it easier to control various functions in the car while driving Unfortunately, this does not change the fact that touchscreens are not very tactile and are quite difficult to control accurately when not looking at them

Buyers will also get one year of free access to Tesla's premium connectivity, which offers Internet browsing, music streaming, "Careoke," access to video streaming services, live traffic, and satellite view maps

Finally, Elon Musk confirmed that the audio system has been upgraded, with 22 adaptive speakers throughout the car Tesla is able to improve sound quality through over-the-air updates, as well as change the audio to best suit the content being played at the time

Tesla claims that the Tesla Model S Plaid will have a 95 kWh battery and a range of up to 396 miles This is less than the long-range Model S, which offers 405 miles on a single charge However, this model is not as fast

The car is compatible with Tesla's 250 kW Supercharger, which promises a range of 187 miles in just 15 minutes Musk hinted that Tesla will develop "280 kW, 300 kW, and eventually 350 kW" fast chargers in the future However, no timeline has been set for that, nor is it known if those speeds will be available for the current Model S Plaid

Initially, Tesla planned to release two versions of the Model S Plaid: the just-launched standard Plaid and the more powerful Plaid Plus The Plaid Plus was scheduled to arrive in mid-2022 and was set at a much higher price of $144,490

However, since Tesla confirmed the Plaid's June release, the upgraded model had been grayed out until Elon Musk confirmed the car's cancellation

Musk's reasoning was that the standard Plaid was "more than good enough," ie, the Plaid Plus was not needed He later clarified that he was talking specifically about range, claiming that he did not need a range of more than 400 miles

"What we're seeing is that if you have a range of 400 miles or more, then the range beyond that really doesn't matter," Mask said

"There are essentially zero trips over 400 miles where the driver doesn't need to stop for a restroom, a meal, a cup of coffee, etc"

So what's the difference? In addition to an extended range of 520 miles (with a 115 kWh battery pack), the Plaid Plus is designed to be much more powerful than the standard Plaid model

This included 1,100 horsepower, and its 0-60 acceleration (under 199 seconds) and 1/4-mile acceleration were said to be the fastest of any production car to date

Inside, we were looking at the exact same car, albeit considerably more expensive Unfortunately, however, it was not to be If you want something better than the Model S Plaid, you'll have to wait until 2023 to get the $200,000 second-generation Tesla Roadster

The Tesla Model S Plaid is not a major change to Tesla's premium sedan, but the changes made are still very significant The range of the Model S Plaid is particularly impressive, proving that despite the growing number of electric vehicles on the road, Tesla is still ahead of them

One could argue that speed and acceleration are not particularly important in a road car, but these improvements are still important as well Not only is the Tesla Model S Plaid another way to beat the competition, it also proves that you don't have to sacrifice power or speed to have an electric car This is more than enough to run a gasoline-fueled sports car