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Tesla Model S Plaid’s brutal acceleration from 60-120 mph is downright ridiculous

Credit: Tesla

Published

4 years ago

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There are cars that are fast, and there are cars that are so insane; they have to be seen to be believed. The Tesla Model S Plaid is certainly one of them, especially when it comes to the monster sedan’s capability to accelerate from 60-120 mph in under 4 seconds. 

If one were to say nine years ago that Tesla’s first ground-up vehicle, the Model S, would eventually be quick enough to beat the specs of literal supercars while still being practical enough to not look out of place with child seats and groceries at the back, one would likely have been laughed out of the room. The Model S debuted with a 0-60 mph time of over 5 seconds in its base version, after all, and even then, it was already plenty quick. 

But Tesla is a company obsessed with constant improvements, so much so that the company, as per automotive teardown expert Sandy Munro, moves at the “speed of thought.” This has allowed Tesla to make improvements to the Model S at such a rate that the vehicle has now turned into something that is the equivalent of an all-electric monster, both on the drag strip and on the track. 

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This was demonstrated recently by a Model S Plaid owner who shared a video of his vehicle accelerating to about 130 mph. Based on the video, it seems evident that the Model S Plaid could go from 60-120 mph in less than 4 seconds. Dragy results posted by automotive media group @CarForce247 point to the Model S Plaid’s 60-120 mph acceleration being just 3.84 seconds. 

The Model S Plaid’s acceleration from 60-120 mph places it well within the realm of supercars. The McLaren 765LT, for example, is hailed as one of the market’s most formidable supercars, with its 60-120 mph acceleration of 4.1 seconds. It should also be noted that the McLaren 765LT is a proper supercar that costs $375,000, not a four-door family sedan that could comfortably seat four to five people while streaming Netflix on its 17-inch touchscreen. 

During the Model S Plaid’s delivery event, Tesla CEO Elon Musk remarked that the flagship sedan exists to establish the notion that electric cars could be the world’s most formidable vehicles, full stop. With over 1,000 horsepower, a 1.99-second 0-60 mph time with rollout, and its sub-4-second 60-120 mph acceleration, the Model S Plaid definitely seems to be a vehicle that could accomplish Elon Musk’s goals. 

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Watch the Tesla Model S Plaid accelerate from 60-130 mph in the video below.

https://youtu.be/N8B1pDWStRo

Do you have anything to share with the Teslarati Team? We’d love to hear from you, email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Investor's Corner

Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package gets support from Tesla’s biggest bull

ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood has previously stated that she is quite confident that the vote on Elon Musk’s 2025 Performance Award would pass.

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11 minutes ago

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October 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla Singapore/X

Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest and one of Tesla’s most ardent bulls, reiterated her support for Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award. 

Wood highlighted that Musk’s leadership attracts incredible talent, and it has allowed the companies he leads such as Tesla to become disruptors in their respective fields.

ARK Invest supports Musk’s leadership

Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award has received a mixed reception. Proxy firms such as Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) have stated that they would be voting against Musk’s pay package. Other entities, such as the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA), have stated that they would be voting in favor of Tesla’s proposals. 

ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood, for her part, has previously stated that she is quite confident that the vote on Elon Musk’s 2025 Performance Award would pass. She also stated that a favorable result to the vote for Musk’s 2025 pay plan would be beneficial for Tesla.

“Elon Musk is the most productive human being on earth. And a human being who attracts incredible talent, people who want to solve the world’s hardest problems. This is a win-win for all of us if Elon succeeds this time,” Wood stated. Musk appreciated Wood’s comments, stating, “Thanks Cathie!” In a post on X.

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ARK Invest has been one of Tesla’s most loyal bulls

Tesla is ARK Invest’s single largest holding, with the firm holding an estimated $1 billion worth of TSLA, as noted in an Insider report. Wood previously said she expects the approval of Musk’s pay package to trigger “super-exponential growth” for the automaker, as new products like the Cybercab and Optimus expand Tesla’s offerings.

“Because think about it. It is a convergence among three of our major platforms. So, robots, energy storage, AI, and it’s not stopping with Robotaxis. There’s a story beyond that with humanoid robots, and our $2,600 number has nothing for humanoid robots. We just thought it’d be an investment, period,” Wood stated during an appearance at Steven Bartlett’s podcast The Diary Of A CEO.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla VP for AI software makes a case for upcoming Elon Musk shareholder vote

Elluswamy reiterated the idea that Tesla is indeed at a critical point in its history.

Published

35 minutes ago

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October 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Director of Autopilot Software and VP of AI Software Ashok Elluswamy has shared his thoughts about CEO Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award. While the executive typically discusses topics related to the company’s tech and AI initiaives, Elluswamy made it a point to make a case for Musk’s proposed pay package. 

Tesla’s VP for AI Software shares his insights 

In a post on X, Elluswamy reiterated the idea that Tesla is indeed at a critical point in its history. This is because the company is changing from a leader in electric vehicles and a major player in the energy storage market to a powerhouse pioneer in robotics that are powered by real-world AI.  As per the executive, Elon Musk’s leadership of Tesla is more relevant now more than ever. He also reported an X article he previously wrote about Elon Musk and Tesla.

“This note regarding the importance of Elon leading Tesla is more relevant now than ever. Tesla is at a critical juncture, as it is metamorphosing into the world leader in robotics. Creating large-scale, useful robots requires expertise across engineering design, manufacturing, real-world AI software, chips for AI, and more. Elon is, quite likely, the only person on Earth with deep skills and the right instincts across all these domains,” Elluswamy stated.

A push to support Musk’s 2025 performance award

In recent weeks, Tesla executives such as Board Chair Robyn Denholm have been encouraging TSLA shareholders to vote in favor of Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award, as well as other proposals that the company’s directors have argued are critical to the future of the company. These proposals, Tesla executives noted, are necessary to ensure that the company can achieve the ambitious targets of Elon Musk’s Master Plan Part IV. 

Elon Musk’s pay package, as well as the company’s proposals, would be decided at the upcoming 2025 Annual Shareholders Meeting, which would be held at Giga Texas on November 6, 2025. Needless to say, Tesla’s future might very well be decided during the event. 

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Elon Musk

Tesla Cybercab steering wheel dilemma gets final answer from Elon Musk

Published

3 hours ago

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October 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla/YouTube

Tesla Cybercab is the company’s autonomy-geared automobile that will eventually begin the phase-out of human drivers. In recent days, however, there has been speculation regarding the vehicle’s equipment and whether it would be fitted with a typical steering wheel and pedals.

CEO Elon Musk put an end to this discussion, at least for now, as he maintains the vehicle will not have anything that would remotely resemble any possibility of any sort of manual operation.

The problem is, there is a flaw in his logic, and his justification for the reasoning is an opinion. But Musk has a special ability; he has the final say on what goes on at Tesla, and if he does or doesn’t want manual controls in the new vehicle, he’ll get his way.

On the All In Podcast on Friday, Musk gave his final answer to whether the Cybercab would have a steering wheel or pedals by stating it would not when the production units start rolling off lines in Q2 2026.

He provided a further explanation:

“The reality is, people may think they want to drive their car, but the reality is that they don’t. How many times have you been in an Uber or Lyft and said ‘I wish I could take over for the driver, get off my phone, and drive to my destination? 0.0 times.”

Although the units that have been spotted on public roads in recent days are equipped with a steering wheel and pedals, it is because Tesla is testing the vehicle in real-world situations, and manual controls are required for it.

Tesla Cybercab spotted testing on public roads for the first time

Some Tesla fans in the community have said that the car seems more geared toward being suitable for manual operation as opposed to a fully autonomous vehicle primed for driverless ride-hailing.

Earlier this week, Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm said that if the company had to put a steering wheel or pedals into the Cybercab, it would.

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