We all know the yoke-wheeled Model S Plaid is the most exciting all-electric car on the market in 2021, save for the Rimac Nevera that’s too expensive and too rare for mortals like you and me. Switching to drag radials out back also happens to be the most straightforward way of making the most performance-oriented Tesla of them all a little quicker at the strip.
The following clip from the Tesla Plaid Channel is focused on the 1/8-mile, which is why we must remind ourselves how fast the Plaid is over 600 feet or 220 yards, whichever unit of measurement you prefer.
Unfortunately for prospective customers and enthusiasts alike, the U.S. configurator doesn’t reveal this detail. We’re presented with the acceleration to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 1.99 seconds and a ¼-mile ET of 9.23 seconds at 155 miles per hour (249 kilometers per hour). There’s also a little asterisk that definitely needs to be highlighted because the advertised ¼-mile time doesn’t include the first foot of rollout.
With these particularities covered, let’s go through all five runs performed by the Tesla Plaid Channel. In chronological order, we have 6.09, 6.08, 6.11, 6.15, and 6.35 seconds at speeds ranging from 119.08 to 120.45 miles per hour (191.64 and 193.84 kilometers per hour).
“Consistent” would be my word of choice, especially for the final runs that were made with Drag Strip mode activated but without Launch Control. As a brief refresher, the Model S needs to show the Cheetah Stance Enabled and Ready to Launch messages on the instrument panel before you mash the loud pedal.
Instead of 21-inch Arachnid wheels (a $4,500 option) wrapped in 295/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber, this car is fitted with 20-inch by 9.5-inch lightweight wheels and 285/35 Nitto NT01 drag radials out back.
Suffice to say, this combo is more than enough to roast a big-tire Plymouth Cuda 440 on the 1/8-mile. To whom it may concern, the strip-slaying Mopar crossed the line in 6.57 seconds at 104.77 miles per hour (168.61 kilometers per hour).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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