Before the introduction of the Tesla Model S Plaid, the manufacturer also had an even more extreme Plaid Plus version listed on its website. The latter was eventually canceled when the standard Plaid’s range and straight-line pace were deemed sufficient, but it created performance expectations that Tesla never met.
The topic of the Model S Plaid Plus was recently brought up again on X by Dan Burkland, who asked Elon Musk if the idea of such a model was completely dead or if the upcoming Roadster would fill the void left in the Tesla range. Musk simply replied, “Roadster,” putting to rest any hope of an even more potent Model S.
When the Model S Plaid first came out, no other sedan could come close to matching it, but some of that wow factor has worn off. Now, the Lucid Air Sapphire is quicker than it both in a straight line and around a track, while the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is the undisputed electric sedan circuit king. Today, you no longer buy a Plaid because it’s the quickest thing around but rather because it’s an unbeatable bargain for the performance it offers.
There are even more extreme electric sedans around the corner, like the Ultra version of the Xiaomi SU7 from China. It has over 1,500 horsepower, a claimed acceleration time to 62 mph of 1.97 seconds and to 124 mph in 5.97 seconds, as well as a top speed of 217 mph.
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The Tesla Roadster promises affordable extreme performance
Even though Tesla has postponed the production Roadster more than any other model and it's been seven years since the initial concept was shown, people are still waiting for it. The manufacturer says it's going to arrive next year and offer even better performance than initially announced for a price tag starting at $200,000, many times lower than any other EV with comparable performance.
Specialized Tesla aftermarket company Unplugged Performance has created a unique exterior kit for the Model S Plaid that completely changes the car’s appearance. It also offers upgraded suspension, brakes and wheels that transform the way the car drives. This is the closest you can get to making your own Model S Plaid Plus, although you can’t extract more power out of it. To make it quicker, you need to start stripping the interior.
Tesla was also spotted testing a very extreme-looking Model S Plaid prototype around the Nurburgring a few years ago. It had a front splitter and an active rear wing, so it could have been a Plaid Plus mule or prototype, but by the time we saw it, we already knew the Plus had been canceled, and Tesla never offered any of its aero components to customers.
The upcoming Tesla Roadster will offer Rimac Nevera-beating performance at a fraction of the price. Elon Musk says it will be even quicker than what was initially announced, offering “mind-blowing” acceleration after Tesla “radically increased the design goals” for the new sports car. Tesla initially stated the Roadster would be able to accelerate to 60 mph in under one second with optional thrusters and that it would have a top speed of 250 mph.
After over six years of waiting and delays, Elon Musk said that we would finally see the finished Roadster in 2025 when it would also enter low-volume production. If Tesla sticks to this latest deadline, it would mean eight years will have passed since the initial concept was shown to the public.
