...

Tesla Model S Plaid may be required to use a parachute when racing on drag strips

The Tesla Model S Plaid was officially launched on Battery Day, and the vehicle is now available for order. The Plaid Model S specs are no joke, with the vehicle being able to go 0 to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds before maxing out at 200 mph. The upcoming flagship sedan is so quick that, thanks to its three electric motors that produce 1,100 horsepower, Tesla lists its quarter mile time as less than 9 seconds.

With the Plaid variant coming into the picture, the Model S on the quarter-mile will effectively become an 8-second vehicle. This would make the Tesla sedan flagship a downright frightening presence on the drag strip, especially because previous iterations such as the Model S P100D with Ludicrous Mode and the Model S Performance are fast enough to regularly embarrass supercars. That being said, it is very difficult to deny that Tesla’s 8-second quarter-mile time is uncharted territory, and this might result in some interesting rules for the car on drag strips.

Tesla owner and drag racing enthusiast Brooks Weisblat is no stranger to fast cars on YouTube’s DragTimes channel. Weisblat has extensive drag racing experience, frequently competing with electric cars such as the Tesla Model S P100D or traditional supercars such as the McLaren 720S. Speaking as a veteran, Weisblat noted that the Model S Plaid is an insane vehicle, and it might actually end up being too fast for some drag strips in the United States given its performance.

The drag racing veteran noted that the vehicle will have to include a trap speed that is possibly over 150 mph for the Model S Plaid to reach a quarter-mile time that is less than 9 seconds. Weisblat pointed out that more safety standards are placed on vehicles that perform at such levels on many drag strips across the world. For example, cars that reach a quarter-mile at 150 mph are required to have a parachute to help them slow down. Vehicles running quarter-mile times of 8 or 9 seconds are usually expected to have a roll cage or at least a roll bar.

The YouTube host stated that even 9-second cars like the McLaren 720S are not allowed to compete in drag strips at times over regulations from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Thus, when the Model S Plaid starts making 8-second passes on the quarter-mile next year, owners may find themselves getting politely asked to leave by officials after their first run. That is, of course, unless they equip their Teslas with the necessary safety equipment.

With the Model S Plaid, Tesla has made a beast of a family sedan. There is very little justification for a vehicle in its size which can comfortably seat five and accommodate a lot of luggage for long trips with performance that is on par with some of the world’s most aggressive production cars. But that is precisely what Tesla did, and also at a reasonably affordable price. After all, there are very few cars offering equivalent performance for less than $140,000 in the market.

Watch Weisblat’s take on the Tesla Model S Plaid in the video below.

Want to buy a Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model S, or Model X? Feel free to use my referral code to get some free Supercharging miles with your purchase: http://ts.la/guanyu3423

You can also get a $100 discount on Tesla Solar with that code. Let’s help accelerate the advent of a sustainable future.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x