Tesla Model S P100D is the fastest-accelerating car you can buy, says Tesla
Capable of sprinting from a complete stop to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds, the Tesla Model S 100D isn't the fastest car ever, but it is darn close.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., talks during a news conference at the company's headquarters in Fremont, Calif. On Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016, Tesla Motors said a new version of the Model S electric car is now the quickest production car in the world from zero to 60 miles per hour. The company says the Model S P100D sedan can go from stopped to 60 in 2.5 seconds.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP/File
What's more than ludicrous speed? Apparently, it's the new Tesla Model S P100D, announced today by company CEO Elon Musk. Capable of sprinting from a complete stop to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds, the Model S 100D isn't the fastest car ever, but it is darn close.
It's surpassed only by the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder, neither of which you can place an order for today.
The Model S P100D gets its grunt from, as its name implies, a 100 kwh battery and an available Ludicrous Mode that allows its electric motor to tap the most of its battery. And that battery is an impressive one, giving the sleek hatchback luxury sedan a 315-mile range—making it the first electric car to surpass 300 miles on the EPA's test.
CEO Musk says that Tesla won't be cranking out Model S P100Ds with a quickness, however. Supply concerns about increasing battery density mean that, at least initially, just 200 examples will be built per week.
Tesla hasn't yet announced pricing for the Model S P100D, but a P90D with Ludicrous Mode knocks on $120,000 and there's little reason to believe that the new variant will be any cheaper.
Model X P100D
But this isn't the end for Tesla performance: Musk told reporters that the automaker will extend its 100 kwh battery to the Model X, set to be christened—you guessed it–Model X P100D.
The crossover will vault to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, making it the fastest of its breed. Since it's a little heavier and a little less aerodynamic than the Model S, the Model X P100D's range drops to 289 miles.
Musk was quick to point out that the Model X is a faster accelerating vehicle than the McLaren F1, a point the executive called "nuts."
No images have been released of the Model S P100D or the Model X P100D, but it's safe to say that the changes will be limited to a badge—and, of course, what can't be seen.