6:37 am, June 8, 2021
Tesla has canned plans for an ultra powerful version of its Model S which would have delivered a rumoured 1,100bhp.
Called the Plaid Plus, the hypercar crushing electric model was deemed irrelevant as the standard forthcoming Model S Plaid was ‘so good’.
Boss Elon Musk revealed on social media that the Plaid Plus had been cancelled because there was simply ‘no need’ for it.
Rumoured to deliver a range of up to 520 miles of range, the Plaid Plus has been discontinued with the ‘regular’ Plaid model left on sale as the performance-focused Model S variant.
The Model S Plaid model packs a three-motor setup and has a starting price of £110,980.
Musk said that the standard car is capable of 0-60mph in ‘under 2 secs’ and will be the ‘quickest production car ever made of any kind’.
It has a 390-mile battery range, 1,020bhp and a top speed of more than 200mph.
Musk said the Model S Plaid has to be ‘felt to be believed’ suggesting it ‘feels like a spaceship’.
Some buyers had already put their money down on a Plaid Plus and moaned to the Tesla boss that the range topping car had been cancelled.
In order for the Model S Plaid to take the title as the fastest-accelerating road car, it’ll have to beat the 0-60mph time of 1.85 seconds posted by the recently-revealed Rimac Nevera.
The Model S – Tesla’s largest saloon car – was given a significant update back in January, with highlights including a new 17-inch widescreen infotainment system and a second eight-inch touchscreen for those passengers sitting in the back.
The car also debuted a ‘stalkless steering yoke’ which, though deemed legal for use in the UK, can be replaced for a conventional steering wheel should the buyer prefer.
Deliveries of the new Model S are expected to start next year.
