Tesla Model S Plaid: 200mph saloon promises 520-mile range
Range-topping version of EV, due in 2021, will use three motors to do 0-60mph in less than 2.0sec
Tesla has confirmed that the long-awaited Model S Plaid, the newest and most powerful version of its larger electric saloon, will go into production late next year.
Announced at the company's Battery Day, the Plaid will use three motors to produce around 1100bhp. It will be capable of 0-60mph in less than 2.0sec and have a top speed of 200mph, which Tesla claims will make it the most powerful and quickest-accelerating production car in the world.
A higher-capacity battery, likely using the improved battery technology also announced during the event, promises to deliver as much as 520 miles on a single charge.
Prices are set to start from £130,980 in the UK, with pre-orders now being accepted. Deliveries are exptected to begin in late 2021.
During the car's unveiling, Tesla showed a video clip of a Model S Plaid lapping the Laguna Seca racew track in 1min 30.3sec – a 6sec improvement over the prototype it tested there in 2019.
The only thing beyond Ludicrous is Plaid
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 23, 2020
The company has yet to fully reveal the car's exterior design, offering only short glimpses in a teaser video. Plaid prototypes had previously been spotted testing at the Nürburgring with a dramatic aerodynamic package, but this latest footage suggests the design will be toned down for production, with a more modest rear spoiler and higher ride height.
Tweets from the official Tesla account suggest the American company is planning to return to the German circuit later this year to challenge the lap time set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo S.
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