News
Saleen Tesla Model S Revealed at Track Test & Tune Session

Yes, Saleen is working on a Model S but no one knows much more than that, until now.
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EDIT: 8/17/14 – Saleen Debuts FOURSIXTEEN at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: Full Features & Specifications List
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Teslarati had the good fortune to be invited to Saleen’s Tesla Model S track test and tune session with Steve Saleen himself. What we saw went far beyond our expectations. Forum comments run the gamut, from a fully rebuilt Tesla Model S, much as Saleen cars are, to a tweaking of suspensions and tires. How can a renowned performance car magician improve an award-winning battery powered sedan? We won’t go into the full details yet, but suffice it to say, there’s laser scanning involved, exotic materials and the Bilstein touch just to name a few. The result will be a transformation of the Model S sedan to a track-ready beast of an electric vehicle (EV). Saleen will truly delight anyone who wants even more performance from their Tesla Model S without giving up everyday driveability.
Saleen is doing what it does best - look at everything, answer every food group and make it astronomically better. When asked about the switch from gasoline internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to an all electric Tesla Model S, the Saleen team was quick to point out that all modern cars are controlled by electronics whether it's an EV or not. We can only guess that Saleen might be looking to work its tuning magic on Tesla's electronic componentry. Afterall, an electric motor and its three moving parts are infinitely easier to work on than an opposing piston engine. Or is it? Will the Saleen R&D Engineering team led by Sven Etzelsberger be able to extract even more performance out of Tesla's P85 443 ft·lb (600 N·m) electric motor? Only time will tell.
Saleen Tesla Model S Track Testing
The Saleen Tesla Model S exemplified how much more it can give at full speed negotiating corners under the expert hands of Steve Saleen. We sat shotgun with Steve as he showed us the untapped performance of a Saleen unleashed Tesla Model S.
"The result will be a transformation of the Model S sedan to a track-ready beast of an electric vehicle (EV)"
Steve pushed the Model S through a series of decreasing radius and 90-degree turns, sweepers, and fast medium length straights all while maintaining the car's natural finesse. The Saleen Model S reveals the sedan's hidden personality; a neutral, very well balanced chassis under stress, that is not vicious, even when pushed to the outer bounds of physics. RELATED: The day Saleen turned its attention to the Model S We test drove the Saleen Tesla Model S on the track and also played chase with it in our very own Teslarati 48 race car, and can say the differences were astounding. The electric Saleen was fast. It cornered fast, pushed strong and the braking was radically different. It's safe to say the Saleen Model S will be true to both of its DNAs, well engineered and race ready.
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@Teslarati We can only say we are on pins and needles waiting for the final version of the Saleen Tesla Model S to be made public. It will reveal how far the Model S engineered platform can be pushed and we think it will surprise many. In the meantime we're counting our lucky stars for having caught a glimpse of this incredible moment in EV history, when Saleen turned his attention to electric cars. ALSO SEE: The Tesla Racing Series
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk to provide more details for Master Plan Part IV
Musk stated that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be adding more specifics to the recently-released Master Plan Part IV. Musk shared the update on social media platform X amidst conversations about the general nature of the Master Plan Part IV.
In a conversation on X, Musk responded to a post from Tesla retail shareholder and bull Dave Lee, who observed that the currently released Master Plan Part IV could really just be the introduction to the real plan due to its absence of specifics.
Elon Musk responded, stating that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update. “Fair enough. Will add more specifics,” Musk wrote in his post.
Tesla has been following Elon Musk’s Master Plans for decades. The first Master Plan, released in 2006, outlined the company’s path from the original Tesla Roadster to the Model 3, as well as the first steps for Tesla Energy. Master Plan Part Deux, released in 2016, covered the ramp of Tesla Energy, the expansion of Tesla’s vehicle lineup, and the rollout of a Robotaxi service.
Master Plan Part 3 was more ambitious as it was generally an in-depth proposal for achieving a global sustainable entry economy by transitioning to electricity-powered vehicles, homes, and industry, which will, in turn, be powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Master Plan Part 3 also included a five-step plan to accomplish this, allowing the world to transition to a fully electrified future.
Master Plan Part IV, which was released a few days ago, focused on automation and artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable abundance. But while the first two Master Plans were very clear and specific and Master Plan Part 3 was very in-depth, Master Plan Part IV was quite general and vague in comparison. It was easy to tell that Optimus would play a big role in the pursuit of sustainable abundance, but apart from that, there were no specifics as to how Tesla intended to achieve its goals.
Fortunately, these specifics would be discussed by Musk in a later update to the plan.
News
Tesla just had its best wholesale month this year in China
Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad.

Tesla China just had its best wholesale month this 2025 so far. In August, the electric vehicle maker sold 83,192 vehicles wholesale, a 22.55% increase compared to July 2025’s 67,886 units.
Tesla China’s wholesale figures are still down year-over-year, but the company’s momentum seems notable, especially with the arrival of the Model Y L.
August 2025 figures
As noted in a CNEV Post report, August 2025’s 83,192 wholesale figures are 4.04% less than the 86,697 units that were sold in the same period last year. It is, however, a 22.55% improvement from the previous month. From January to August, Tesla China sold 515,552 units wholesale, a 12.24% year-over-year decrease.
It should be noted that Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad. With this in mind, August’s results bode well for Tesla China, as it suggests that Gigafactory Shanghai is now hitting its pace with both its domestic deliveries and its exports. Giga Shanghai serves as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub.
Model Y L factor
Tesla had a challenging first quarter this year, thanks in part to the changeover to the Model Y across the Fremont factory, Giga Texas, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin-Brandenburg. This changeover resulted in low sales in the first quarter. Political controversies surrounding Elon Musk and violence against Tesla stores and vehicles in the first and second quarters in the United States and Europe did not help much either.
This Q3, however, Tesla seems to be hitting its stride, especially in China. The launch of the new Model Y L has allowed Tesla to compete in the six-seat, large SUV segment, a market that was previously closed to the standard Model Y. Reports have suggested that Tesla China has been seeing a lot of demand for the Model Y L, which should help the company achieve higher sales this quarter and the remaining months of the year.
News
Tesla Model Y L sales have been incredible since launch: report
Tesla China’s sales this third quarter could see a notable improvement.

A recent report from China has suggested that the Tesla Model Y L has been seeing an impressive volume of orders since it was launched last month.
Amidst the Model Y L’s rollout, Tesla China’s sales this third quarter could see a notable improvement.
Model Y L orders
Citing information from a salesperson from a Tesla store in Beijing, media outlet Cailianshe stated that the Model Y L has been resonating well with consumers, particularly bigger families that need more space for their children. The salesperson stated that since the vehicle’s unveiling in China, the Model Y L has garnered 120,000 orders, and almost 10,000 new orders daily.
“(The Model Y L) is selling very well. Since its launch, 120,000 orders have been received, with nearly 10,000 orders placed every day. The first batch of customers began receiving deliveries in the past two days,” the Tesla representative noted.
More momentum
China is the world’s largest electric vehicle market, and it is also the most unforgiving and competitive. While the standard Model Y consistently performed well in the premium crossover SUV segment, it was high time for Tesla China to offer a larger vehicle for domestic consumers. There are quite a lot of customers, after all, who need more space than what the standard Model Y could offer.
The Model Y L’s spacious interior seems to be well appreciated by consumers, with the Tesla Beijing salesperson noting that the vehicle’s excellent rear seats have been a notable selling point. “Although the Model YL is a bit more expensive, it has more space and a more flexible rear seat, making it perfect for families with children,” the representative added.
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