A Plaid variants have already been spotted being put through their paces. Leno apparently drove the Model S Plaid at the Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California, when the Model S Plaid broke the Bugatti Chiron's quarter-mile record set in 2018.
Tesla's high-performance Plaid powertrain was announced in 2019 but was being teased by Musk as far back as 2016. Plaid variants of the Model S and the Model X were finally unveiled in January this year with some eyebrow-raising performance figures. The Model S Plaid is said to kick out a maximum of 1,020 hp, max out at 200 mph, and hit 60 mph from a standstill in less than two seconds. That would make it the fastest accelerating production vehicle ever made and if some may not have been convinced of that at first they may be now.
Speaking to the Spike's Car Radio podcast, Leno said he went to Famoso and took a single with a National Hot Rod Association representative in attendance to "make it official." Leno explained: "I turned a 9.247 at 152 mph." He noted the Model S Plaid was completely stock and described the performance as unbelievable, pointing out: "you're talking a four-door car with the air conditioning on."
Just How Fast Is The Tesla Model S Plaid?
A report from Drive Tesla Canada last month suggests Leno was at Famoso on May 11, where a Midnight Silver Model S Plaid was doing quarter-mile runs. The fastest time on the day is given in the article as 9.23 seconds, hitting 152.16 mph. That's even faster than Leno's time and, assuming it's accurate, puts the Model S Plaid in the region of 1.8 seconds faster than the Bugatti Chiron Sport. For some more context, Zeroto60Times.com gives quarter-mile times for the Ferrari LaFerrari as 9.7 seconds, the McLaren P1 as 9.8 seconds, and the Porsche 918 Spyder as 9.9. The Model S Plaid is, of course, considerably less expensive than all of these.
Outstripping these supercars is an achievement in itself but, as Leno referenced, doing so in a four-door sedan with tri-zone climate controls, heated seats for all engers, a 22-speaker audio system, and a 10-teraflop gaming system is unprecedented. Tesla is showing what is possible with the potential performance efficiencies of electric vehicles (EV) and, in the big scheme of things, it and other EV manufacturers are just getting started.
Sources: Spike's Car Radio, Drive Tesla Canada, Zeroto60Times.com