Fall is the time to sport plaid. I’m not talking only about the fashion print, either. Next fall, Elon Musk is preparing to start production of the next-generation Tesla Model S with what he calls the “Plaid Powertrain”, a reference to “Spaceballs”.
The “Plaid Powertrain” is the next big update for Tesla’s SUV, one that will hopefully fix the throttling issues that appeared in older Model S versions. Moreover, it will be accompanied by three motors, a feature that initially was reserved to the next Roadster model.
The big difference that the “Plaid” will definitely make is in the speed department. Tesla designed it to be the next step from the “Ludicrous” mode and it will surely fit that bill.
At Nurburgring, a prototype vehicle equipped with the powertrain showed what it can do against a Porsche Taycan, a beats in itself. Tesla’s prototype car beat the Porsche Taycan by 19 seconds, registering a lap time of 7 minutes and 23 seconds. The win followed another success at Laguna Seca, where a Model S completed the lap in 1:36:56.
In the face of such success, I can’t be anything other than excited to see the next Tesla Model S on the market. It will probably be even faster than the prototype from Nurburgring.
However, it’s gonna take a while to get there. According to Musk, this racing Model S will enter production in October or November 2020. When it does, it will also bring an update to the rear-facing seats, making a bit more room for the passengers.
There’s no price in sight for it, only Musk’ promise to cost more than the current offerings from the company but “less than competitors”.
This week, though, Tesla is not sitting idle. American customers will get the “Smart Summon” feature with the possibility of rolling out globally next week. In case you’re not up-to-date to the latest software updates done by the company, the feature will be able to give drivers better control over summoning.
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