Lifestyle

Tesla Model S Plaid racecar achieves sub-10-minute time at Pikes Peak

Credit: Unplugged Performance

Published

2 years ago

July 2, 2023

Simon Alvarez

A Tesla Model S Plaid racecar with Unplugged Performance parts was able to set a new record at the 101st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The vehicle, aptly called “Dark Helmet” as an homage to the film Spaceballs, successfully completed the hill climb with a sub-10 minute run time of 9:54.901.

What is quite remarkable about Unplugged Performance’s Tesla Model S Pikes Peak racer is the fact that behind its radical aero and high-performance parts like brakes and sway bars, it still retains its factory powertrain and drivetrain. Thus, power-wise, the Model S Plaid Pikes Peak racer is not really that far from other Plaid sedans coming out of the Fremont Factory.

But while “Dark Helmet” still features a factory Model S Plaid powertrain and drivetrain, Unplugged Performance did not hold back with the vehicle’s other upgrades. As per a press release from the Tesla tuning shop, the Model S Plaid Pikes Peak racer is fitted with a number of modifications that help the vehicle handle its immense power better.

These include UP x Ohlins TTX 4-way coilovers, billet aluminum adjustable control arms, sway bar, Superlight Carbon Ceramic Big Brake Kit and Carbon Fiber Brake Cooling Duct Kit to ensure optimal performance and control. The car was also fitted with Unplugged Performance UP-03 lightweight race wheels wrapped in Yokohama A005 Biomass tires, which are made from sustainable materials.

On race day, legendary racecar driver Randy Pobst, a true veteran of Pikes Peak, who, for the past few years, has taken on the treacherous hill climb in a Tesla, completed the race in 9:54.901. In a statement following the event, the veteran racer highlighted that Unplugged Performance’s modifications and the vehicle’s tires played a crucial part in the feat. Such parts, after all, allowed the Model S Plaid’s monstrous power to be utilized fully for the race.

“Our best Pikes Peak yet! Dark Helmet was so perfectly dialed by the Unplugged Performance team. The Unplugged parts and Yokohama biomass tires allowed us to achieve top 10, sub 10-minute and a new record, and I am absolutely electrified with excitement!” Pobst said.

Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Schaffer, for his part, highlighted that the Model S Plaid, for all its power and speed, is actually a family car at its core. And if one were to keep such a thought in mind, then it would be pretty hard not to be impressed with the Model S Plaid’s successful hill climb at Pikes Peak this year.

“We are thrilled with our success at the 101st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Dark Helmet had a class win in 2021 on shortened race, but to run the full course this year with our fastest qualifying time ever and setting a modified production EV record is a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence by the Unplugged Performance team.

“Demonstrating that even a luxury family sedan can compete against purpose-built race cars was our Pikes Peak mission, and delivering that for the Tesla community that has supported us for a decade further motivates us to continue pushing the limits of what is possible,” Schaffer said.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

2 months ago

March 6, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday.

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

❤️— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2025

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease.

“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

Lifestyle

Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

3 months ago

January 31, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States.

This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.

The convenience of…
— JC Christopher (@JohnChr08117285) January 29, 2025

FSD user’s tale:

As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous.
“This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
“The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Lifestyle

Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

3 months ago

January 14, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products.

The video:

Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver.
The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Future Robo-cop @Tesla_Optimus

full video: https://t.co/TXpSRhcP5K pic.twitter.com/YFHZ7siAP7
— SOKRISPYMEDIA (@sokrispymedia) January 12, 2025

Cool inside jokes:

The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it.
From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.