Three months ago, Wired was invited to take a spin in the Tesla Model S. It was the first time anyone outside the California-based company was allowed to drive the all-electric sedan.
That test drive was brief. Too brief. Like everyone in attendance, my time behind the wheel was limited to a few ticks over ten minutes, making it impossible to fully judge the legitimacy of the new vehicle. Although I came away impressed with the Model S’s potential, I questioned whether Tesla had cloaked the real-world functionality of its innovative new sport sedan in an elaborately choreographed press event, complete with a presidential-candidate-style cameo by the automaker’s rockstar co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk.
So after publishing my initial impressions, I rang up Tesla and made a simple request: Give us a Model S for a multi-day loan. Let us drive it the way we want to drive it, bereft of brand-minders and corporate lackeys. Let us see if the S can really hack it — through traffic, on the highway, over backroads and beyond.
Tesla agreed, and loaned us a Model S for the better part of four days. But it wasn’t just any specimen off the lot — it was Musk’s personal car.
This means two things. First, it’s outfitted with a revised “Version 2″ air suspension, along with half-inch-wider rear wheels, revised suspension bushings and end links, and Michelin PS2 sport tires. This could be offered as a “Performance Plus” upgrade for the standard Performance Model S, and is based on feedback from both Musk and his engineers. Second, Musk’s sedan was assuredly shaken down with the finest of fine-tooth combs before landing in the Wired parking lot, ensuring that every single panel, trim piece, software function and drivetrain component met his exacting specifications. Is this an accurate representation of what every Model S buyer will drive off the lot? We were personally assured by Mr. Musk that it is, sans suspensions tweaks.
As for the stats, specs and pricing, check out my original first-drive report for the details. This Model S — a Signature Series (the title of “Founder” is etched into the aluminum rear trim) with the Performance package — carries a base price of $87,900, but Musk’s model is spec’d well over the $100k mark.
For that kind of coin, you get a high-performance drive inverter that outputs 416 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is available from zero RPM. And because there’s no gearbox, no pistons, no valves, or differentials to churn through before the power reaches the ground, you’re left with just pure, unadulterated acceleration.
The quoted zero to 60 mph time of 4.4 seconds (3.9 if you go by Motor Trend‘s testing methodology) is almost irrelevant. It’s the point-and-squirt acceleration at nearly any speed that shocks and delights while devouring the road ahead. Nail the throttle at 40 mph and you’re up to 60, then 70 then 90 in less time than it takes to read this sentence. I don’t care how fast you read.
That level of performance wouldn’t be uncharacteristic for something twice as costly, with half as many doors and weighing far less than the Telsa’s claimed curb weight of over 4,600 pounds. It is — for all intents and purposes — pure energy being laid to the ground with a rapidity that’s more roller-coaster freefall than four-wheeled family transport. And it’s more exhilarating than anything I’ve driven out of Sant’Agata, Stuttgart or even Maranello.
More impressive than the sheer speed of a sedan this size is its level of grip and handling. This is largely attributable to the fact that the massive, four-inch-tall, 85-kWh battery pack is housed mere inches from the ground — it makes the Tesla not just a competent handler, but an architectural marvel that’s sure to cause furrowed brows and OCD-level head-scratching among German engineers. Even with only the rear wheels driven, the Model S has enough tarmac-biting traction to give all-wheel-drive sports sedans pause and concern, and when trundling along on the freeway or around town, the ride is connected and composed, yet hugely comfortable.
If there’s any demerit in the driving department, it’s a subtle disconnect and pause in the steering movement — even when set to “Sport” — as the weight shifts at the polar moment of inertia. Not even an oh-so-low center of gravity combined with the bespoke battery pack acting as an integrated stress member are enough to counter a curb weight this high. But props to the Tesla team for getting the S this dialed in right out of the box. Well, after said suspension update….