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Tesla Model S Plaid Does Record Quarter Mile Run, Breaks the 9.2-Second Barrier

Ever since the Tesla Model S Plaid came out, the most important question on everyone's mind was "how quick will it be?" With the Plaid+ gone in the same place where all of Elon Musk's unfulfilled promises go, all hopes hung on the shoulders of the plain Plaid which, according to the same Musk (whose word value we've just established), is just as good as the Plaid+.
Tesla Model S Plaid quarter mile record run 7 photos
Photo: Starzevan / YouTube screenshot collage
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Well, just by looking at the official figures, we got a pretty good idea of what to expect. Tesla says the Plaid will hit 60 mph (97 kph) from a standstill in 1.99 seconds, hit a top speed of 200 mph (~320 kph) - it doesn't really have the tires for that right now, but after seeing it in action, few people doubt it will - and cover the quarter mile from a dig in 9.23 seconds. The only requirement for all this to be true is to try it on a prepped surface.

Thanks to Brooks from DragTimes, we now know the Plaid can manage the advertised time for the 0-60 mph sprint on the road as well (with the first foot of rollout subtracted, as you do). We've also seen it run the 1,320-foot distance in 9.22 seconds on regular asphalt as well, so, despite all the evidence, the question remains: just how quick can the Plaid ultimately be?

Enter evidence number three: a drag race (well, we'll call it that even though it was essentially just the Tesla running against the clock) featuring a Model S Plaid, a prepped track, and the more precise time measurement devices you get at a drag strip (the previous figures were obviously obtained using GPS-based devices since the EV was on public roads).

We hope you'll do your best to ignore the unfortunate vertical/portrait format filming (despite coming across them daily, some people never acknowledged the orientation of all the displays around them) and focus on what matters the most: the time of 9.146 seconds, as well as the trap speed of 154.67 mph (248.91 kph).

Sadly, we lack more info about the video and the source, so it's OK if you keep some reservations regarding the veracity of everything you see in the clip, but assuming there's no foul play involved, we are witnessing the quickest quarter mile run in a Tesla Model S Plaid - and, therefore, any other production car - ever.

The numbers, however, add up since, at least as far as we can remember, this is also the highest trap speed we've seen for the Plaid so far. We don't recall the electric sedan ever going over the 154 mph mark, so unless there was a malfunction with the equipment, this poorly shot clip is the only proof we have of the best quarter mile run ever. Ironic, but also exciting.

Run starts at 1:25

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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