See Tesla Model S Plaid Quickly And Quietly Blast To 166 MPH On Autobahn

The electric sedan reaches its electronically limited top speed in just 14 seconds.

An interior view of the Tesla Model S going to Plaid.

Christopher Smith

By: Christopher Smith

Feb 17, 2023 at 3:24pm ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

The Tesla Model S is fast in any configuration, but we all know about the Plaid. For those who either forgot or aren't up-to-speed on 1980s pop culture, plaid is a reference to the comedy flic Spaceballs, referencing a speed faster than ludicrous, which was the range-topping mode for earlier Teslas (also borrowed from Spaceballs).

But you aren't interested in that. You want to see a car go from a dead stop to 166 mph in 14 seconds. For that, just click play on the above video but don't bother with the sound. It's an eerily silent surge of acceleration punctuated by wind noise and perhaps a touch of whine from the electric powertrain.

Gallery: 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid Refresh

2021 Tesla Model S Plaid

2021 Tesla Model S Plaid 2021 Tesla Model S Glass Roof 2021 Tesla Model X 2021 Tesla Model S Yoke Steering Wheel

The video comes from the crew at AutoTopNL, which are certainly well acquainted with speed runs on unrestricted sections of Germany's autobahn network. We don't often see EVs put to the test in this setting, never mind one of the quickest accelerating models available. Perhaps that's why this video features multiple low-speed and standing-start acceleration blasts, because there are few production cars in the world that pull harder than a Tesla Model S Plaid.

It's one thing to see numbers frantically climbing, but midway through the clip we see the driver entering the highway behind slower traffic, patiently waiting for the left lane to clear. A hatchback passes with some haste as the Tesla hovers around 38 mph (60 kph), but the gap barely exceeds a bus length once the driver starts to accelerate. That particular run sees the Model S Plaid go from 38 mph to 159 mph (256 kph) in 12 seconds, and the driver didn't apply full throttle for nearly half the run.

Silent Speed:

Rimac Nevera Crowned Fastest Production EV After Hitting 256 MPH

2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring First Drive: Bright Future Baby

What do you think?

View

Comments

The final sprint in the video is the keeper. that's the 0-166 mph sprint in 14 seconds, though nearly all of the run is done in just 11 seconds. Tesla officially lists the top speed at 200 mph, though it's only available through certain hardware upgrades. Otherwise, the Model S Plaid is electronically limited in normal operation to 166 mph.

Check out the Rambling About Cars podcast for more EV content, available below.

Source: AutoTopNL via Motorsport TV

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motor1.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The Motor1.com Team

Share this Story

GO TO COMMENTS

(

)

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@motor1.com

View all comments ( )

Popular

The 15 Best Movie Cars of All Time, Ranked

Porsche Is Building 15 One-Offs, Including A $15 Million Car

Bugatti Might Pair Its V16 Engine With A Manual Gearbox

Toyota Is Testing Its New Inline-Four Engine In The GR86