While many enthusiasts have been anti-electric vehicles, I have a feeling that's going to change very soon. Very, very soon.
That's because Tesla is innovating MUCH faster than the other guys on the market. When Elon Musk tweeted that the "D" was going to bow this week, some people made wise cracks. I mean, it is nicknamed the "d," which is something a sixth grader would chuckle at.
But at the end of the day, Musk wowed everyone. That's because, on paper, the top spec dual motor Model S sounds like a complete and utter monster of an automobile.
Having nearly 700 horsepower on tap and an all-wheel drive setup certainly will help that along. Zero to 60 happens in 3.2 seconds and Musk said that Tesla benchmarked the McLaren F1's performance to get the Model S to this point.
If that wasn't enough, here's the BIG news:
1) D stands for dual motors
2) As a new front-mounted electric motor provides an additional bump of horsepower to the front wheels, the D models are all-wheel drive
3) There will be an "autopilot" mode that sounds very similar to the way Mercedes-Benz's radar-guided cruise control works — it will start stop for you in traffic, etc.
**For MORE information, click "Read Article" below to hear about the car from the folks on hand at yesterday's event!
Tesla Model S Dual Motor Specs (vs comparable single-motor model)
Note: The Tesla Model S P85D specifically has 50/50 weight distribution and 1 g maximum lateral acceleration.
Top Speed
60D: 125 mph (vs 120 mph for 60 kWh)
85D: 155 mph (vs 125 mph for 85 kWh)
P85D: 155 mph (vs 130 mph for P85)
0–60 mph Acceleration
60D: 5.7 sec (vs 5.9 sec)
85D: 5.2 sec (vs 5.4 sec)
P85D: 3.2 sec (vs 4.2 sec)
Quarter Mile Times
60D: 14 sec (vs 14.2 sec)
85D: 13.5 sec (vs 13.7 sec)
P85D: 11.8 sec (vs 12.6 sec)
Torque
60D: 362 lb-ft — 181 lb-ft front, 181 lb-ft rear
85D: 362 lb-ft — 181 lb-ft front, 181 lb-ft rear
P85D: 687 lb-ft — 244 lb-ft front, 443 lb-ft rear
Electric Motor Output
60D: 376 hp—188 hp front, 188 hp rear (vs 380 hp rear)
85D: 376 hp—188 hp front, 188 hp rear (vs 380 hp rear)
P85D: 691 hp—221 hp front, 470 hp rear (vs 470 hp)
Weight
60D: 4597 lbs (+ 176 lbs)
85D: 4824 lbs (+ 176 lbs)
P85D: 4936 lbs (+ 291 lbs)
Battery Range
60D: 225 miles (vs 215 miles)
85D: 295 miles (vs 285 miles)
P85D: 275 miles (vs 285 miles)
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