Slippery on purpose
Tesla lists a drag coefficient of 0.23 claimed and peak Supercharging of 250 kW on a 400-volt system (Tesla). Range went from a 390-mile estimate in 2021 to 368 miles EPA after the 2025 refresh.
Tesla Model S Plaid 0-60, quarter mile and the last Model S, explained
1.99 s to 60 on Tesla's terms, 2.28 s from a dead stop. 1,020 horsepower in a five-seat sedan that Tesla stopped building in May 2026.
The short answer
Tesla claims the Model S Plaid reaches 60 mph in 1.99 seconds claimed "with rollout subtracted," the drag-strip habit of starting the clock after the first foot of travel (Tesla). MotorTrend matched it at 1.98 s recorded on a prepped strip, ran 2.07 s recorded on ordinary asphalt, and measured 2.28 s recorded from a true standstill (MotorTrend).
Tesla's quarter-mile claim is 9.23 s at 155 mph claimed. MotorTrend recorded 9.25 s at 152.6 mph recorded; no stock car we found reached the 155 mph trap. The 200 mph claimed top speed needs the paid Track Package; otherwise the car is governed to 163 mph claimed, and Car and Driver recorded 162 mph recorded (Car and Driver). Tesla built the last Model S in May 2026 and says it's no longer in production (CNBC).
The last Model S
On January 28, 2026, Elon Musk said it was "time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge," and that Fremont's line would become "a 1 million unit per year line of Optimus" robots (CNBC).
The final 250 Model S were Plaid-powered Signature Editions in Garnet Red at $159,420. Tesla posted on May 10 that the last one had been built, "14 years of history for Model S" (Tesla on X). There's no successor.
Numbers that don't feel real
Every figure carries its label. claimed means Tesla or Musk said it. recorded is timed on an actual run: an instrumented test, a certified or verified record run, or a maker's own pass on a drag strip's timing system. verified means an official listing. converted is a maker's 0-100 km/h claim converted to 0-60 mph. derived is our math, and estimate is modeled for our race because no published figure exists. Here's how we label numbers.
1.98s
0-60 mph on MotorTrend's prepped strip, first foot subtracted, June 2021
2.28s
The same test from a true standstill, the way most of the world times 0-60
1.227g
Peak launch force at 32 mph, harder than its best emergency stop (1.221 g)
1,020hp
From three motors, in a car with five seats and a 17.4-inch screen
7:25.231
Nordschleife lap with the Track Package, June 2023, notarized and checked by TÜV Rheinland
163mph
Top speed until you pay for the Track Package's brakes; the 200 mph figure needs them
31%
Price drop from the $129,990 launch to $89,990 in September 2023, 27 months later
166days
Since Tesla built its last Model S at Fremont
Zero to 60, in real time
Each bar fills at the real speed of that car's 0-60 time, from the race's lineup. The second Plaid bar is MotorTrend's time from a standstill, without the first foot subtracted.
Tesla Roadster claimed0.81 s
Rimac Nevera R recorded1.66 s
Lucid Air Sapphire claimed1.89 s
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra converted1.91 s
Tesla Model S Plaid claimed1.99 s
Model S Plaid from a standstill recorded2.28 s
Porsche 911 Turbo S claimed2.40 s
Ford Mustang GT recorded3.70 s
The one-foot asterisk
American drag strips start the clock only after the car has rolled about a foot, when its front tire clears the staging beam. Tesla quotes the Plaid that way, and so does MotorTrend. Car and Driver puts the first foot at about 0.2 s (Car and Driver).
MotorTrend's headline was "0–60 MPH in 1.98 Seconds*!" and its subhead admitted the 2-second barrier "remains unbroken. Unless you write your own rules" (MotorTrend). So the honest summary is: 1.99 s claimed, 1.98 s recorded on a prepped strip, about 2.3 s from a standing start. Don't compare 1.99 s with European 0-100 km/h times, which start from rest.
Design you notice second
Studio views are our own generated illustrations, not Tesla photography or design data.
What's hiding in the body
Tap a marker. Figures are Tesla claims unless noted. Studio views are our own generated illustrations.
01A 0.23 drag coefficient
Tesla claims 0.23 Cd. At the Plaid's speeds, drag decides how much of the 1,020 hp is left for going faster.
02One motor up front
The first of three carbon-sleeved motors drives the front wheels. Tesla never published how the power splits between the axles.
03Screens and a gaming PC
A 17.4-inch front screen, a 9.4-inch rear screen and 22 speakers. Tesla marketed the computer at 10 teraflops, "PS5-level," and Musk ran Cyberpunk 2077 on it (CNET).
04A battery Tesla never sized
Tesla never published the pack's capacity. It runs a 400-volt system; the 2021 range estimate was 390 miles, and Car and Driver got 280 miles at 75 mph.
05Two motors at the back
One motor per rear wheel lets the car push the outside wheel harder in a corner, which Tesla calls torque vectoring.
A carbon sleeve on every rotor
At launch Musk said it was "the first time that there's, to the best of our knowledge, been a production electric motor that had a carbon overwrap rotor" claimed. The carbon sleeve keeps the copper rotor squeezed together even though the two materials expand at different rates, so the rotor can spin faster without coming apart (CleanTechnica).
The widely repeated 20,000 rpm figure traces back to an owners' forum, not Tesla reported. Photo: the Plaid's rear two-motor drive unit on display. Votpuske, CC BY 4.0.
A four-year trade with Porsche
Musk tweeted 7:30.909 for an "unmodified" Plaid in 2021, but the Nürburgring's own record calls 7:35.579 the official 2021 lap. Porsche's Taycan Turbo S took the EV record in 2022; a Track Package Plaid took it back in June 2023 with 7:25.231, driven by Tom Schwister on a round wheel, not the yoke (Nürburgring). Porsche answered with a pre-series Taycan, later revealed as the Turbo GT, at 7:07.55 in autumn 2023, announced in January 2024 (Porsche), and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme and a Manthey-kitted Taycan Turbo GT have all gone faster since.
Taycan Turbo GT, Manthey kit, 20266:55.533
Yangwang U9 Xtreme, 20256:59.157
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, 20257:04.957
Porsche Taycan pre-series (Turbo GT), 20237:07.55
Model S Plaid, Track Package, 20237:25.231
Model S Plaid, Musk's tweet, 20217:30.909
Porsche Taycan Turbo S, 20227:33.35
Model S Plaid, official, 20217:35.579
Three ways it was sold
Prices are Tesla's at the time. The Track Package was an add-on for any 2021 or later Plaid.
Plaid
2021 to 2026
Three motors, the yoke at first, and the drag-strip numbers.
- 0-60 mph
- 1.99 s
- Power
- 1,020 hp
- Top speed
- 163 mph
- Launch
- $129,990
$89,990 from September 2023, then $99,990 after the June 2025 refresh (InsideEVs).
Track Package
Add-on from June 2023
Carbon-ceramic brakes that finally let the car reach its 200 mph claim.
- Top speed
- 200 mph
- Rotors
- 16.1 in
- Brakes only
- $15,000
- With wheels
- $20,000
The car that lapped the Ring in 7:25.231 wore it. No independent 200 mph run has been published.
Signature Edition
250 cars, May 2026
The send-off: every one a Plaid in Garnet Red with gold accents and a numbered plate.
- Price
- $159,420
- Built
- 250
- Brakes
- Carbon ceramic
- Resale lock
- 1 year
Buyers agreed not to resell for a year and gave Tesla first refusal (Not a Tesla App).
From "gone to Plaid" to an honorable discharge
Five years from a $129,990 launch to the last car off the Fremont line. Scroll sideways.
1,961days since the first Plaids were delivered
Sep 2020
A 1,100 hp preview
Tesla previews the Plaid powertrain at Battery Day.
Jan 2021
The refresh and the yoke
Plaid announced at $119,990, with a Plaid+ promising 520+ miles at $139,990 claimed.
Jun 6, 2021
Plaid+ cancelled
Musk: "Plaid+ is canceled. No need, as Plaid is just so good."
Jun 10, 2021
Delivery night at Fremont
The first 25 cars are delivered; the price is now $129,990.
Jun 17, 2021
1.98 seconds
MotorTrend's first test confirms Tesla's 0-60 claim, with an asterisk.
Jun 29, 2021
A fire in Haverford
A new Plaid catches fire while being driven in Pennsylvania. No public cause has been found.
Sep 2021
7:35.579 at the Ring
The official lap; Musk's tweeted 7:30.909 is never accepted.
Jan 6, 2023
The round wheel returns
Tesla quietly makes a round wheel standard and the yoke an option.
Jun 2023
Track Package, then 7:25.231
Carbon-ceramic brakes unlock 200 mph and win back the Ring record from Porsche.
Sep 1, 2023
$89,990
31% below the launch price, 27 months later.
Feb to Apr 2024
The Lucid is quicker
MotorTrend and DragTimes both declare the Lucid Air Sapphire the quicker sedan.
Jun 2025
A last refresh
Quieter cabin, revised suspension, 368 miles EPA, $99,990.
Jan 28, 2026
"An honorable discharge"
Musk ends the Model S and X so Fremont can build Optimus robots.
May 10, 2026
The last Model S
Tesla posts that the final car has been built; the Signature delivery event streams on May 20.
What people are saying
Reaction split four ways. These are opinions, quoted with links.
The stopwatch
"The quickest production car we've ever tested."MotorTrend, 2021, first test
It added that "the quickest car we've ever tested is a $150K five-seat sedan, not some multimillion-dollar, carbon-fiber-encrusted road missile," and called it "the best Tesla yet."
The party trick
"Without the chassis and brakes to match its 1,020 hp, the Tesla Model S Plaid is a party trick on wheels."MotorTrend, 2024, vs Lucid Air Sapphire
The same test listed "basic build quality issues persist" as a con, and Car and Driver called 200 mph "a bit of a stretch."
The yoke
"Tesla's New Steering Yoke Shows Little Benefit and Potential Safety Pitfalls"Headline, Consumer Reports
MotorTrend found it "a total pain to use at low speeds." Owners split; one 76-year-old wrote "I LOVE IT." China has drafted rules that would ban yoke-style wheels from 2027.
The eulogy
"Right up there with the Ford Model T and the Porsche 911."Car and Driver, May 2026, on the Model S
Wall Street shrugged; MarketBeat's headline was "Analyst Response Is Meh" (MarketBeat).
The consensus: nobody argues with the acceleration, which independent tests confirmed. The arguments were about everything around it: brakes that capped top speed for two years, a yoke most testers disliked, build quality, and a 200 mph figure that needed a $20,000 upgrade. Its legacy is proving a five-seat EV could out-launch cars costing several times as much.
Live: news and buzz
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See it for yourself
The Plaid delivery event
Tesla · Jun 10, 2021 · 28:26
Model S has gone to Plaid
Tesla · Jun 14, 2021 · 1:10
7:25.231 at the Ring
Tesla · Jun 3, 2023 · 7:34
Car and Driver tests it
Car and Driver · Dec 8, 2021 · 13:28
Edmunds' instrumented test
Edmunds · Sep 7, 2021 · 23:52
Rimac Nevera vs Plaid
DragTimes · Aug 18, 2021 · 15:30
Jay Leno's quarter-mile record
CNBC Ambition · Nov 8, 2021 · 6:35
The 2021 Ring lap
Tesla · Sep 9, 2021 · 7:45
Chris Harris on the Plaid
Top Gear · Mar 29, 2021 · 6:14
Should you buy one?
MotorTrend · Aug 27, 2021 · 9:41
The chief designer and engineer
Jay Leno's Garage · Sep 1, 2025 · 39:50
The Signature send-off
Tesla · May 20, 2026 · 27:27
Farewell: a final review
Ever · Sep 10, 2026 · 10:49
Things most people don't know
01
The name is a Spaceballs joke
In the 1987 film, "Plaid" is the speed beyond "Ludicrous." Tesla's launch film was called "Model S Has Gone to Plaid."
02
Plaid+ died in a tweet
"Plaid+ is canceled. No need, as Plaid is just so good." It would have had 4680 cells and 520+ miles.
03
The Ring car skipped the yoke
The 2023 record lap was driven with a round wheel. InsideEVs called it "a quiet admission from Tesla that a traditional wheel is better."
04
It launches harder than it stops
MotorTrend measured 1.227 g at 32 mph on launch, more than the car's best 60-0 stop at 1.221 g.
05
Chill mode is really chill
In its gentlest drive mode, the 1,020 hp sedan needs about 15 seconds for a quarter mile.
06
Range past 420 miles "doesn't really matter"
That was Musk's explanation for cancelling the 520-mile Plaid+.
07
The final price was a joke
Jalopnik read the Signature Edition's $159,420 as a nod "because, y'know, weed is funny."
08
The Lucid finally beat it
MotorTrend's 2024 test: Lucid Air Sapphire 9.27 s at 156.0 mph, Plaid 9.55 s at 150.2 mph. The Lucid cost $250,500; the Plaid $91,630.
Its neighbors on the strip
In our quarter-mile model the Model S Plaid finishes fifteenth of 21, using Tesla's own 9.23 s claim. The car just quicker and the car just slower:
Questions people ask
How fast is the Tesla Model S Plaid from 0 to 60 mph?
Tesla claims 1.99 seconds with the first foot of rollout subtracted, a drag-strip convention. MotorTrend recorded 1.98 seconds on a prepped drag strip and 2.07 seconds on ordinary asphalt, both with rollout subtracted. Measured from a true standstill, MotorTrend's car took 2.28 seconds.
What is the Model S Plaid's quarter-mile time?
Tesla claims 9.23 seconds at 155 mph. MotorTrend recorded 9.25 seconds at 152.6 mph on a prepped strip, Car and Driver 9.4 seconds at 151 mph, and DragTimes' best stock pass was 9.248 seconds at 151.83 mph. The elapsed time holds up; no stock car we found matched the 155 mph trap speed.
Can the Model S Plaid really do 200 mph?
Only with the paid Track Package, which arrived in June 2023 for $15,000, or $20,000 with forged wheels and Goodyear Supercar 3R tires. Without it Tesla governs the car to 163 mph, and Car and Driver recorded 162 mph. We found no independent test of a Plaid reaching 200 mph.
Is the Tesla Model S Plaid discontinued?
Yes. Elon Musk announced on January 28, 2026 that the Model S and Model X programs would end with an honorable discharge so the Fremont line could build Optimus robots. Tesla posted on May 10, 2026 that the last Model S had been built. Tesla's site now says the Model S is no longer in production.
How much did the Model S Plaid cost?
It launched at $129,990 in June 2021, $10,000 more than announced. The price fell to $89,990 in September 2023 and rose to $99,990 with the June 2025 refresh. The final 250 Signature Edition cars cost $159,420 each.
What is the Model S Plaid's Nürburgring lap time?
The Nürburgring confirmed 7:25.231 in June 2023 for a Plaid with the Track Package, with a notary present and the car inspected by TÜV Rheinland. The official 2021 lap was 7:35.579. Elon Musk's tweeted 7:30.909 from 2021 was never accepted as official. Xiaomi's SU7 Ultra has since posted a faster EV lap.
Labels, sources and credits
Labels. Claimed: Tesla or Musk said it. Recorded: timed on an actual run: an instrumented test, a certified or verified record run, or a maker's own pass on a drag strip's timing system; on this page, instrumented tests by named outlets. Converted: a maker's 0-100 km/h (62.1 mph) claim converted to 0-60 mph. Verified: an official listing, here the Nürburgring's own record. Reported: press reporting we couldn't trace to a primary source. Derived: our math. Estimate: modeled for our race because no published figure exists. Both are explained in the methodology guide. Race figures come from the lineup in our quarter-mile simulator, which uses Tesla's claims for this car. Tesla never published the battery capacity or a Plaid-only sales figure.
- Tesla, Model S page, read October 23, 2026, and the June 15, 2021 snapshot
- MotorTrend, first test, June 2021, and Lucid comparison, February 2024
- Car and Driver, instrumented test, December 8, 2021, and Track Package, May 2023
- Nürburgring, official lap release, June 2023
- Reuters, launch event, June 10, 2021
- CNBC, end of production, January 28, 2026, and Tesla on X, May 10, 2026
- CleanTechnica on DragTimes' best stock pass, July 2021
- Not a Tesla App, Signature Edition details, May 2026
Images. Goodwood 2023 photo: Calreyn88, CC0, cropped, with background people blurred. Drive unit: Votpuske, CC BY 4.0. The hero and the studio views are our own generated illustrations. None are Tesla photos.