Tesla Model S
Tesla S60 vs S85: Feature Comparison
I had the opportunity to compare the Tesla Model S 60 which I received as a service loaner against my S 85. The loaner was in silver which I never even considered. The silver color swatches in the Tesla store never looked all that great to me, however I can tell you that a silver Model S looks great in person.
I have no regrets on choosing the grey over silver but this re-enforces the fact that you should always try and see the cars in person at your local Tesla delivery center, especially if you’re on the fence between two colors.
Tesla S 60 Performance
The S60 has the smallest battery amongst the Model S line up. Right off the bat I can tell the units of measurement on the dash are a bit different than the S 85 which likely takes into account this lower capacity and differences in regenerative braking capabilities. I didn’t notice much of a performance difference between the the S60 and S85 but then again I didn’t push it too hard. The car was plenty fun to drive.
I didn’t buy the S85 for faster 0-60 times. Rather I bought it for the extended range capabilities. I think the performance of the S60 would have been perfectly fine for me had I taken that route.
Regenerative Braking
A surprising character of the S60 is that its regenerative braking is much less aggressive than that of the S85 even when set in “Standard” mode. I love the way regenerative braking slows my S85 down to the point that I rarely need to use the brakes at all, but the S60 just didn’t have that same feel.
Handling
The loaner S60 was equipped with the Smart Air Suspension package which I opted not to get on my S85. The feature currently costs $2,250 USD at the time of order.
I played with raising and lowering the ride height of the car while the it was parked. The doors can not be open when you toggle through ride heights and as a result it’s a bit difficult to observe.
The changes in ride height are pretty small — just a few inches, but nonetheless it was cool to be able to raise and lower the car from the touch screen.
The low setting is definitely lower than a Model S with the standard suspension.
“it was cool to be able to raise and lower the car from the touch screen.”
The high and normal setting appeared to be equivalent in height to the standard suspension, at least at a glance. While that extra bit of height may help with in situations when ground clearance is absolutely needed, I’ve never had an issue bottoming out or clearing a reasonable curb with my standard suspension. The bottoming out argument seems like a pretty invalid reason to buy this option to me.
I tried driving around with the various settings and some seemed to reset themselves after the car began moving. I didn’t get a whole lot of time to play with each setting, but you could feel the difference in ride height while driving. I can’t say that I preferred one setting over another with the time I had. I also didn’t get a chance to play with the jack mode.
MUST READ: Revealing the Most Popular Tesla Model S Configuration
The ride felt smoother on the S60 than my S85. Whether this was due to the smart air suspension or perhaps the difference in the weight is unknown to me, but I did like the way the S60 handled a bit better than my S85 with the standard suspension. After switching back to my S85 I was still very happy with its handling and didn’t miss the air suspension.
I had active suspension in my MDX and on that car it was a barely noticeable gimmick. On the Model S air suspension seems to be much more “real” but also seems to me to be less practical than other options. Also maintenance costs on active suspension options are notoriously high which was the main reason I skipped the option.
Features
The S60 was equipped with the upgraded with the Ultra High Fidelity Sound System. I’m not an audiophile by any means and other than a visible “dolby” logo on one of the screens along with an XM option for radio I couldn’t tell any difference in the sound or function. Unfortunately the XM radio (and Slacker!) in the loaner were not configured so I couldn’t try out those services. I never considered getting the better sound system and have no regets there. The standard sound system on the Model S is excellent.
ALSO SEE: Tesla Center Console Insert Review
The S60 also had the yacht floor installed. Depending on what decor you have the price for this can range from $650 to $850 US. I really didn’t like this at all. I found things still slid around on the yacht floor despite the rubber “rails” and the gloss black version they had installed showed all sorts of dirt/dust. Personally i’d like either a real center console or an all weather mat insert for this area. I think the yacht floor is a complete waste of money.
Summary
It was great of Tesla to lend me a car while they did the service and I really enjoyed being able to check out some extra features on my own time. I was really hoping for a loaded P85+ to review or even a Roadster but no such luck this time. Overall my impressions of the S60 loaner left me very happy with the choices I made for my own car and I was happy to get it back quickly.
Elon Musk
Tesla confirmed HW3 can’t do Unsupervised FSD but there’s more to the story
Tesla confirmed HW3 vehicles cannot run unsupervised FSD, replacing its free upgrade promise with a discounted trade-in.
Tesla has officially confirmed that early vehicles with its Autopilot Hardware 3 (HW3) will not be capable of unsupervised Full Self-Driving, while extending a path forward for legacy owners through a discounted trade-in program. The announcement came by way of Elon Musk in today’s Tesla Q1 2026 earnings call.
🚨 Our LIVE updates on the Tesla Earnings Call will take place here in a thread 🧵
Follow along below: pic.twitter.com/hzJeBitzJU
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 22, 2026
The history here matters. HW3 launched in April 2019, and Tesla sold Full Self-Driving packages to owners on the understanding that the hardware was sufficient for full autonomy. Some owners paid between $8,000 and $15,000 for FSD during that period. For years, as FSD’s AI models grew more demanding, HW3 vehicles fell progressively further behind, eventually landing on FSD v12.6 in January 2025 while AI4 vehicles moved to v13 and then v14. When Musk acknowledged in January 2025 that HW3 simply could not reach unsupervised operation, and alluded to a difficult hardware retrofit.
The near-term offering is more concrete. Tesla’s head of Autopilot Ashok Elluswamy confirmed on today’s call that a V14-lite will be coming to HW3 vehicles in late June, bringing all the V14 features currently running on AI4 hardware. That is a meaningful software update for owners who have been frozen at v12.6 for over a year, and it represents genuine effort to keep older hardware relevant. Unsupervised FSD for vehicles is now targeted for Q4 2026 at the earliest, with Musk describing it as a gradual, geography-limited rollout.
For HW3 owners, the over-the-air V14-lite update is welcomed, and the discounted trade-in path at least acknowledges an old obligation. What happens next with the trade-in pricing will define how this chapter ultimately gets written. If Tesla prices the hardware path fairly, acknowledges what early adopters are owed, and delivers V14-lite on the June timeline it committed to today, it has a real opportunity to convert one of the longest-running sore subjects among early adopters into a loyalty story.
Tesla announced its Spring 2026 software update, and it’s the most feature-dense seasonal release the company has put out. The update covers twelve named changes spanning FSD, voice AI, safety lighting, dashcam storage, and pet display customization, among other things.
The centerpiece for owners with AI4 hardware is a redesigned Self-Driving app. The new interface lets owners subscribe to Full Self-Driving with a single tap and view ongoing FSD usage stats directly in the vehicle.
Grok gets its biggest in-car upgrade yet. The update adds a “Hey Grok” hands-free wake word along with location-based reminders, so a driver can now say “remind me to pick up groceries when I get home” without touching the screen. Grok first arrived in vehicles in July 2025, but each update has pushed it closer to genuine daily utility. Musk framed the broader vision clearly at Davos in January, saying Tesla is “really moving into a future that is based on autonomy.”
On safety, the update introduces enhanced blind spot warning lights that integrate directly with the cabin’s ambient lighting, building on the blind spot door warning that arrived in update 2026.8.
Dog Mode has been renamed Pet Mode and now lets owners choose a dog, cat, or hedgehog icon and add their pet’s name to the display.
Dashcam retention now extends up to 24 hours, up from the previous one-hour rolling loop, with a permanent save option for any clip. Weather maps now show rain and snow with better color differentiation and include the past hour of precipitation data along the route.
Tesla has now established a clear rhythm of two major OTA pushes per year. As with last year’s Spring update, that cycle started taking shape in 2025 with adaptive headlights and trunk customization. The 2025 Holiday Update then added Grok to the vehicle for the first time. This Spring follows that structure: the Holiday update introduces new architecture, and the Spring update broadens it across the fleet.
Two notable features still did not make it. IFTTT automations, which launched in China earlier this year, were held back from this North American release for unknown reasons, and Apple CarPlay remains absent, reportedly still delayed by iOS 26 and Apple Maps compatibility issues.
Below is the full list of feature updates released by Tesla.
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 13, 2026
Elon Musk
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
Tesla’s final 350-unit Signature Edition closes the book on two cars that changed everything.
Tesla has announced a super limited Signature Edition run of 250 Model S Plaid and 100 Model X Plaid units as an invite only purchase in a bid to give its original flagship vehicles a proper send-off.
When the Model S first launched in 2012, the first 1,000 units sold were “Signature” editions that required a $40,000 deposit and cost nearly $100,000 each. Those early buyers were Tesla’s first real believers. This new Signature Edition deliberately echoes that moment, bookending a 14-year run with numbered collector hardware.
Both models are finished in an exclusive Garnet Red paint not available on any current Tesla production vehicle, with gold Tesla T badges up front, a gold Plaid badge and Signature badge at the rear, and a white Alcantara interior featuring gold Plaid seat badges, gold piping, Signature-marked door sills, and a numbered dash plate. The Model S adds carbon ceramic brakes with gold calipers. Every unit ships with Tesla’s Luxe Package, bundling Full Self-Driving (Supervised), four years of Premium Service, free lifetime Supercharging, and a Signature Edition key fob. Both are priced at $159,420, a roughly $35,000 premium over standard Plaid inventory.
The discontinuation is part of a broader strategic shift. At Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call, Musk described the decision as “slightly sad” but necessary, saying: “It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge, because we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy.”
The Fremont factory floor that built these cars is being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots, with a target of one million units annually.
Tesla plans to resolve its angriest bunch of owners: here’s how
SpaceX just got pulled into the biggest Weapons Program in U.S. history
