Elon Musk, Tesla Motors CEO just revealed improvements for the Model S, one of which is named ‘Ludicrous Mode’. For a measly $10,000 you get a 10 percent boost in acceleration, which shaves of the 0-62mph (0-100kph) acceleration to an insane 2.8 seconds! This is supercar territory – all in a fully environmentally friendly business sedan that you don’t need a pilot’s license to operate.
The upgrade was revealed with a loop of the rap song Beast Mode by Ludacris. Pretty fitting, wouldn’t you agree? On a more serious note, this puts this all-electric sedan in some rather inspiring company. Cars that can do the same sprint, below 3.0 seconds include the likes of a Lamborghini Aventador, Nissan GT-R, Koenigsegg Agera and a Porsche 911 Turbo S with a Chrono package.
Let’s put things into perspective, major luxury car makers like Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz or Cadillac, Lincoln etc., don’t have a car that can compete with the Tesla Model S when it comes to straight line acceleration.
For Elon Musk, Ludicrous Mode “is an extension of Insane Mode,” with acceleration of 1.1 Gs, “it’s faster than falling.” It also makes for some awkward situations on the road, especially when a $300,000 supercar owner cannot beat you in sheer straight line speed.
Second announcement of the day included a new battery pack, which changes the name of the model from 85 to ’90’. For additional $3,000, the 85/P85 become 90/P90, which is claimed to add 7% range – depending on the model, range extends from 253-265 to 270-284 miles (European measurements differ from the US – expect higher figures than 435/457km).
Not bad for an all-electric futuristic showcase of the future of motoring, isn’t it? The response from major competitors in the car world will be viewed with much attention it seems.
