Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is to take the title of fastest-accelerating production car in the world – with a four-door saloon and an SUV which can seat between five and seven adults and accommodate all their luggage.
New versions of the Tesla Model S and Model X cars, designated P100D, will be supplied with upgraded battery packs. As a result the Model S P100D with the aptly named ‘Ludicrous Mode’ will pass 60mph from rest in 2.5 seconds, earning it the title of the third-fastest accelerating production car ever made.
However numbers one and two on the list are the LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder, both limited editions long sold out. The fastest production car currently on sale is the McLaren F1, which hits the 60mph mark in 3.2 seconds.
Not only will the McLaren trail the Model S, it will also be three-tenths slower to 60mph than the Model S P100D’s equally all-wheel-drive sister car, the Model X SUV – again with Ludicrous mode.
Announcing the upgrade Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk says that the new battery pack offers a substantial range increase between charges – to around 315 miles, by far the longest range offered on an electric production vehicle.
The upgrades will be available to existing customers – those who have ordered but not yet taken delivery of a P90D Ludicrous Model S or Model X can have the P100D version for an extra $10,000, while those who already have their car will need to pay $20,000 due to the cost of recycling the 90D battery pack. UK prices have not yet been announced.
Musk adds that customers willing to pay for such high-end developments are essential to funding more affordable cars such as the forthcoming Model 3.
“While the P100D Ludicrous is obviously an expensive vehicle, we want to emphasize that every sale helps pay for the smaller and much more affordable Tesla Model 3 that is in development,” he says.
