SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla's CEO has announced that a modified Model S "just set record for fastest 4 door ever at Laguna Seca" thanks to its "Plaid" powertrain and new chassis, both of which are undergoing testing.
The announcement was followed up a few hours later with a clip revealing that the record-breaking EV was outfitted with new powertrain and chassis prototypes.
According to the caption of the video published by Tesla on Wednesday (and later on Twitter) showing off the feat, this Model S beat the four-door sedan record by one second while undergoing R&D testing.
This record points to the "Plaid" powertrain as having a mode even more powerful than the Ludicrous Mode which costs owners about US$20,000 (RM84,000) on top of the pricier of their Model S. In fact, Musk himself tweeted that "The only thing beyond Ludicrous is Plaid."
Besides the record time, no other specs were revealed about Plaid or the Model S's new chassis. Musk only stated that the powertrain is still about a year away from production and will only be available for the Model S, Model X, and Roadster models.
When it does come out, Musk confirmed that it will "cost more than our current offerings, but less than competitors."
Given that upgrading a Model S to a performance version (and therefore giving owners access to Ludicrous Mode) tacks on an extra US$20,000 to the model's final cost, Plaid's price tag could only be higher.
