Pioneering electric saloon returns to the UK with 1020bhp for bonkers acceleration
Tesla claims that the new Plaid version of its Model S saloon is the fastest-accelerating production car in the world, so it would be remiss of us not to strap our timing gear to it and subject it to a full road test.We won’t string this out, because the spec figures on the opposite page give it away already: we’ve timed the Plaid from 0-60mph in 2.4sec, which is quicker than our previous record holder, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.That’s staggering performance by any standard, and it’s all the more impressive when you consider that this isn’t a hypercar but a big five-door saloon that costs from £113,480. That’s not pocket change for most people, but when the only cars in with a chance of beating it – the Bugatti Chiron, Rimac Nevera and Pininfarina Battista – cost multiple millions of pounds, it looks like a bit of a bargain.We’ll go into the details of the Model S Plaid’s performance in a minute, but to truly distinguish itself in an Autocar road test, a car needs to do more than go fast in a straight line. It needs to stop, for one, have an interior that befits a £100,000-plus car, and display some ride and handling sophistication.Range at a glanceMODELSPOWERPRICEDual Motor AWD670bhp£93,480Plaid1020bhp£113,480You can have a fast Model S or an absurdly fast Model S. They look the same and have the same equipment. Tesla doesn’t do trim levels, because all its cars are well equipped as standard.
