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Tesla Model S Plaid racecar bares its fangs by overtaking hypercars in Laguna Seca

Credit: Unplugged Performance/Twitter

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This weekend’s Hypercar Invitational at Laguna Seca was, for the most part, an opportunity for professional racecar driver Randy Pobst and Tesla tuning house Unplugged Performance to test out how their race-spec Model S Plaid performs on the track. The Model S Plaid did not disappoint, and it did not shy away from baring its fangs either. Over the course of the weekend, the modified four-door family sedan overtook some of the world’s most iconic hypercars around one of the world’s most iconic race tracks. 

Unplugged Performance is no stranger to Teslas, having been a dedicated tuning house since the days of the Model S P85+. Pobst is no neophyte with Teslas either, finishing Pikes Peak’s Exhibition Class last year in second place in a Model 3 Performance that was rebuilt within days of a major crash. For both Unplugged and Pobst, however, the Model S Plaid, which would be used for this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb, proved to be a very pleasant surprise. 

The Model S Plaid racecar featured a stock powertrain from Tesla, though its interior was fully stripped out to save weight. A roll cage and a racing seat with six-point seatbelts were placed in the interior as well. Outside, the Model S Plaid was fitted with a massive adjustable rear wing. The vehicle also retained its factory air springs, though it used custom Unplugged Performance/Bilstein dampers and a three-way adjustable rear anti-roll bar. The car also rode on Yokohama Advan slick tires on forged aluminum wheels. 

https://twitter.com/TeslaRep/status/1403913191311101956?s=20

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Ultimately, the Model S Plaid did not only prove that it was worthy of being on the same track as hypercars like the McLaren P1 and the McLaren Senna; the family sedan showed that it could actually dominate its internal combustion-powered counterparts. This was shown in a video shared online, which featured the Model S Plaid casually overtaking the McLaren Senna and P1 with ease. Later comments from the driver of the McLaren P1 noted that the Model S Plaid was so fast, it almost felt like the other vehicles were standing still. 

But perhaps the most notable observation from both Unplugged and Pobst was just how well the Model S Plaid maintained its power during its laps. At one point, Pobst remarked that the Model S Plaid, which only had 34% charge remaining then, felt just as quick as it did when it still had a full charge. In a statement to Teslarati, Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Schaffer added that the Model S Plaid’s capability to maintain its power despite its battery charge was incredibly impressive. 

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“With every generation of Tesla, we’ve experienced significant progress in sustainable power delivery and thermal capacity. In simple terms, this means your can drive faster (and) longer. The new Model S Plaid continues this trajectory of improvement, and during our shakedown runs, the car illustrated almost no perceptible power loss as the battery state of charge decreased. Our driver Randy Pobst said the car felt just as fast at 35% SOC as at 100%,” he said. 

The Tesla Model S Plaid is poised to take on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb later this year. 

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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Elon Musk

Tesla Full Self-Driving’s newest behavior is the perfect answer to aggressive cars

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to have a new behavior that is the perfect answer to aggressive drivers.

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

With FSD’s constantly-changing Speed Profiles, it seems as if this solution could help eliminate the need to tinker with driving modes from the person in the driver’s seat. This tends to be one of my biggest complaints from FSD at times.

A video posted on X shows a Tesla on Full Self-Driving pulling over to the shoulder on windy, wet roads after another car seemed to be following it quite aggressively. The car looks to have automatically sensed that the vehicle behind it was in a bit of a hurry, so FSD determined that pulling over and letting it by was the best idea:

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We can see from the clip that there was no human intervention to pull over to the side, as the driver’s hands are stationary and never interfere with the turn signal stalk.

This can be used to override some of the decisions FSD makes, and is a great way to get things back on track if the semi-autonomous functionality tries to do something that is either unneeded or not included in the routing on the in-car Nav.

FSD tends to move over for faster traffic on the interstate when there are multiple lanes. On two-lane highways, it will pass slower cars using the left lane. When faster traffic is behind a Tesla on FSD, the vehicle will move back over to the right lane, the correct behavior in a scenario like this.

Perhaps one of my biggest complaints at times with Full Self-Driving, especially from version to version, is how much tinkering Tesla does with Speed Profiles. One minute, they’re suitable for driving on local roads, the next, they’re either too fast or too slow.

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When they are too slow, most of us just shift up into a faster setting, but at times, even that’s not enough, see below:

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There are times when it feels like it would be suitable for the car to just pull over and let the vehicle that is traveling behind pass. This, at least up until this point, it appears, was something that required human intervention.

Now, it looks like Tesla is trying to get FSD to a point where it just knows that it should probably get out of the way.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Megapack powers $1.1B AI data center project in Brazil

By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Megapack battery systems will be deployed as part of a 400MW AI data center campus in Uberlândia, Brazil. The initiative is described as one of Latin America’s largest AI infrastructure projects.

The project is being led by RT-One, which confirmed that the facility will integrate Tesla Megapack battery energy storage systems (BESS) as part of a broader industrial alliance that includes Hitachi Energy, Siemens, ABB, HIMOINSA, and Schneider Electric. The project is backed by more than R$6 billion (approximately $1.1 billion) in private capital.

According to RT-One, the data center is designed to operate on 100% renewable energy while also reinforcing regional grid stability.

“Brazil generates abundant energy, particularly from renewable sources such as solar and wind. However, high renewable penetration can create grid stability challenges,” RT-One President Fernando Palamone noted in a post on LinkedIn. “Managing this imbalance is one of the country’s growing infrastructure priorities.”

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By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.

“The facility will be capable of absorbing excess electricity when supply is high and providing stabilization services when the grid requires additional support. This approach enhances resilience, improves reliability, and contributes to a more efficient use of renewable generation,” Palamone added.

The model mirrors approaches used in energy-intensive regions such as California and Texas, where large battery systems help manage fluctuations tied to renewable energy generation.

The RT-One President recently visited Tesla’s Megafactory in Lathrop, California, where Megapacks are produced, as part of establishing the partnership. He thanked the Tesla team, including Marcel Dall Pai, Nicholas Reale, and Sean Jones, for supporting the collaboration in his LinkedIn post.

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Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership

The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools.

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Credit: SpaceX

Starlink is now powering Europe’s first commercial satellite-to-smartphone service, as Virgin Media O2 launches a space-based mobile data offering across the UK.

The new O2 Satellite service uses Starlink’s low-Earth orbit network to connect regular smartphones in areas without terrestrial coverage, expanding O2’s reach from 89% to 95% of Britain’s landmass.

Under the rollout, compatible Samsung devices automatically connect to Starlink satellites when users move beyond traditional mobile coverage, according to Reuters.

The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools. O2 is pricing the add-on at £3 per month.

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By leveraging Starlink’s satellite infrastructure, O2 can deliver connectivity in remote and rural regions without building additional ground towers. The move represents another step in Starlink’s push beyond fixed broadband and into direct-to-device mobile services.

Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schuler shared his thoughts about the Starlink partnership. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to launch a space-based mobile data service that, overnight, has brought new mobile coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time,” he said.

Satellite-based mobile connectivity is gaining traction globally. In the U.S., T-Mobile has launched a similar satellite-to-cell offering. Meanwhile, Vodafone has conducted satellite video call tests through its partnership with AST SpaceMobile last year.

For Starlink, the O2 agreement highlights how its network is increasingly being integrated into national telecom systems, enabling standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware.

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