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This Tesla Model S Plaid+ concept car is covered in gold, and you can buy one

Credit: Caviar Royal Gift

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The Tesla Model S is one of the most revolutionary vehicles in recent memory. While Tesla first released the Roadster in its early days, the Model S was the first car the automaker released that was readily available to the public upon its initial production push in 2012. Over the years, the Model S has been revised several times by Tesla, but third-party customization companies, like Caviar Royal Gift, have also put their own spin on the all-electric flagship sedan. This one is covered in 24 karat, 999 gold (indicating a gold content of 999.9 parts per thousand – the purest form of gold that is available to consumers), matching the $299,999 price tag that will keep this ride reserved for the rich.

Caviar has spent the better part of its established presence creating customized iPhones that also sell for a pretty penny. However, the company took on a new project that goes past the Smartphone sector, but still lies within the broad technology industry by customizing a brand new Model S sedan, rocking the brand new Plaid+ powertrain that retails for $168,990. While the Plaid+ Model S has the best performance specifications to ever be released for a production vehicle with a less than 1.9-second 0-60 MPH time, a 200 MPH top speed, and range ratings that go over 520 miles, the vehicle is already impressive in its own right.

However, there are some owners who don’t only want the performance, but they want the cosmetics too. While the Model S is a sharp vehicle on its own, owners and aftermarket companies have put their own spins on Tesla cars in the past, coming up with some wildly creative designs.

Caviar took it up a notch. “The World’s best electric car is turned into a truly luxury item. Black gloss and dazzling gold. This is how Caviar designers present a high-tech luxury vehicle,” the company writes about the custom Model S. Designed by a team of Caviar artists, the Model S concept car is covered in 999 gold through the Double Electroplated technique that bonds and protects the gold to the car.

 

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The company writes:

“The brand’s artists have created an exclusive Tesla Model S concept car. The electric car is presented in black and adorned with decorative elements covered with 999 gold in Double Electroplated technique. The radiator grille, side skirts, discs, rear-view mirrors and elements of the rear and front bumpers are in the gold color.

Imagine yourself driving this car: a respectable high-quality oil-colored body and a dazzling glow of gold. You are not just driving the car of the future. This is a new word in luxury car modding. If you think that they will turn after you and look with an admiring glance, you are not mistaken. That is exactly what the Caviar Model Excellence 24K is made for.

We are confident that the synthesis of high technology and luxurious materials is exactly what you need. It’s not just a car. It is the quintessence of sophistication, luxury, and self-confidence. Dare to walk such a beast along the main streets of the city? Be careful, you can dazzle those around you with your splendor.”

Caviar requires anyone interested to submit a request for the vehicle, but the timeline on when the car will be delivered ultimately falls on Tesla. The Model S Plaid+ variant, while announced earlier this year, will not be available until at least mid-2022, according to Tesla’s online design studio.

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Regardless, the Model S Excellence 24K, as it is being called, isn’t just about the exterior. Caviar also threw in some renders of the gold-plated Yoke Steering wheel and dash screen, which are new additions to the revised Model S design.

If you’re thinking about getting one of these for yourself, Caviar said it will only produce 99 of these, so get it while you still can!

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla Model S Plaid battles China’s 1500 hp monster Nurburgring monster, with surprising results

There is just something about Tesla’s tuning and refinement that makes raw specs seem not as game-changing.

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Credit: Carwow/YouTube

The Tesla Model S Plaid has been around for some time. Today, it is no longer the world’s quickest four-door electric sedan, nor is it the most powerful. As per a recent video from motoring YouTube channel Carwow, however, it seems like the Model S Plaid is still more than a match for some of its newer and more powerful rivals. 

The monster from China

The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is nothing short of a monster. Just like the Model S Plaid, it features three motors. It also has 1,548 hp and 1,770 Nm of torque. It’s All Wheel Drive and weighs a hefty 2,360 kg. The vehicle, which costs just about the equivalent of £55,000, has been recorded setting an insane 7:04.957 at the Nurburgring, surpassing the previous record held by the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.

For all intents and purposes, the Model S Plaid looked outgunned in Carwow’s test. The Model S Plaid is no slouch with its three motors that produce 1,020 hp and 1,420 Nm of torque. It’s also a bit lighter at 2,190 kg despite its larger size. However, as the Carwow host pointed out, the Model S Plaid holds a 7:25.231 record in the Nurburgring. Compared to the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s record, the Model S Plaid’s lap time is notably slower. 

Real-world tests

As could be seen in Carwow’s drag races, however, Tesla’s tech wizardry with the Model S Plaid is still hard to beat. The two vehicles competed in nine races, and the older Model S Plaid actually beat its newer, more powerful counterpart from China several times. At one point in the race, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra hit its power limit due to its battery’s temperature, but the Model S Plaid was still going strong.

The Model S Plaid was first teased five years ago, in September 2020 during Tesla’s Battery Day. Since then, cars like the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra have been released, surpassing its specs. But just like the Model Y ended up being the better all-rounder compared to the BYD Sealion 7 and the MG IM6, there is just something about Tesla’s tuning and refinement that makes raw specs seem not as game-changing. 

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Check out Carwow’s Model S Plaid vs Xiaomi SU7 drag race video below.

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500-mile test proves why Tesla Model Y still humiliates rivals in Europe

On paper, the BYD Sealion 7 and MG IM6 promised standout capabilities against the Model Y.

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Credit: Tesla China

BYD is seeing a lot of momentum in Europe, so much so that mainstream media has taken every opportunity to argue that the Chinese automaker has beaten Tesla in the region. But while BYD sales this year in Europe are rising and Tesla’s registrations remain challenged, the raw capabilities of vehicles like the Model Y are difficult to deny. 

This was highlighted in a 500-mile challenge by What Car? magazine, which showed that the new Tesla Model Y is more efficient, cheaper to run, and more reliable than rivals like the BYD Sealion 7, and even the nearly 400 KW-charging MG IM6.

Range and charging promises

On paper, the BYD Sealion 7 and MG IM6 promised standout capabilities against the Model Y. The Sealion 7 had more estimated range and the IM6 promised significantly faster charging. When faced with real-world conditions, however, it was still the Model Y that proved superior.

During the 500-mile test, the BYD nearly failed to reach a charging stop, arriving with less range than its display projected, as noted in a CarUp report. MG fared better, but its charging speeds never reached its promised nearly-400 kW charging speed. Tesla’s Model Y, by comparison, managed energy calculations precisely and arrived at each stop without issue.

Tesla leads in areas that matter

Charging times from 25% to 80% showed that the MG was the fastest at 17 minutes, while Tesla and BYD were close at 28 and 29 minutes, respectively. Overall efficiency and cost told a different story, however. The Model Y consumed 19.4 kWh per 100 km, compared to 22.2 for MG and 23.9 for BYD. Over the full trip, Tesla’s charging costs totaled just £82 thanks to its supercharger network, far below BYD’s £130 and MG’s £119. 

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What Car? Magazine’s testers concluded that despite BYD’s rapid sales growth and the MG IM6’s seriously impressive charging speeds, Tesla remains the more compelling real-world choice. The Model Y just offers stability, efficiency, and a proven charging infrastructure through its Supercharging network. And as per the magazine’s hosts, the Model Y is even the cheapest car to own among the three that were tested.

Watch What Car? Magazine’s 500-mile test in the video below.

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Tesla Cybertruck slapped with world’s least intimidating ticket, and it’s pure cringe

One cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of these babies.

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Credit: Ryan Torres/X

A Cybertruck parked at Stanford Shopping Center in California was recently hit with what might be the most try-hard piece of paper ever slipped under a wiper blade: a “fake citation” accusing the driver of supporting a “fascist car.” 

The note, shared on X by Tesla staff program manager Ryan Torres, quickly made the rounds on X, where it quickly gained attention as an example of how not to protest.

The world’s least intimidating ticket

According to the citation, the supposed “violation” was “driving a fascist car.” The remedial action? Take the bus, call an Uber, or ride a bike. The note also dubbed Elon Musk a “chainsaw-wielding Nazi billionaire.” Now, protests against Tesla and Elon Musk have become commonplace this year, but one cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of fake anti-Tesla/Musk citations.

Torres pointed out the irony himself in his post on X. Tesla currently employs over 140,000 Americans, and SpaceX has put the U.S. firmly back at the top of space technology. As Torres put it, maybe the person behind the world’s least intimidating ticket should “read a book on innovation before vandalizing” other people’s property.

Peak performative clownery

Not to mention that the fake ticket’s logic collapses under its own weight. EVs like the Cybertruck are literally designed to reduce emissions, not “destroy the economy.” If anything, Tesla has bolstered the United States’ economy by fueling jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and clean energy. It’s not the first time a Tesla has been the target of vandalism or politically charged notes, but this one stands out for sheer cringe value. 

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Torres summed it up neatly: “Peak clownery.” On that point, at least, the citation earns full marks. In a way, though, perhaps cringe fake tickets are not as bad as the literal firebombs that were being thrown at Tesla stores and cars earlier this year because some critics were gleefully misinformed about Elon Musk.

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