Electric cars have always been a viable option. With rising gas prices and demand only going up, it makes sense to look for an alternate form of engine that can bring us the power we want, and the efficiency we need. Enter the Tesla P85D acceleration insane mode. Yes, it’s literally called “insane mode,” but more on that later.
On the surface, it may look like a nice five-seat sedan with good trunk space, but if we glimpse beneath the surface, we’ll see a beast that has no equal. German engineering is supposed to be the best, bringing us cars with acceleration that cannot be beat. Be that as it may, the Tesla Model S P85D may have them beat.
Join us as we dive deeper into the inner workings of this new and innovative method of transportation. Prepare yourself though, this is going to be a wild ride.
Image: Green Car Reports
The Goal: Beat The McLaren F1
When Elon Musk was presenting this new five-seat sedan model of the Tesla electric cars, he stood on stage in front of over 2,000 people with a massive grin spread across his face.
“In the options selection, you’ll be able to choose between three settings: Normal. Sport. And Insane. Yeah, it will actually say ‘insane’.”
A strong claim, and one heck of a way to introduce a car, but what does he mean by “insane?”
“Our goal was to match one of the fastest cars ever made: the McLaren F1.” To give you an idea of how lofty a goal this is, let’s talk about the F1 for a moment. This carbon-fiber beat has a 627 horsepower engine that has an incredible zero-to-sixty acceleration time, and they want to beat it with an electric five-seat sedan?
Twenty-two years ago, The F1 has an acceleration time of 3.2 seconds to reach 60 mph. Test back in that time showed that the car had an explosive feel when it accelerated. The V-12 engine roared and shook the entire chassis as it took off like a rocket.
Testing the Tesla Model S P85D
The same test in one of these Tesla vehicles is a far different experience. Instead of rough shifts from gear to gear, it fires down the track in a smooth explosion of power. The torque will certainly fuse you with the seat for a moment, but there’s no exhaust smell, no fuel to be found.
Within the first degree of the rotor’s revolution, you’re hit with 687 lb-ft which slams you into a daze. The engine gives off a rising pitch propels you into overdrive. The speed is just incredible, but how is something so intense even possible?
Image via Motor Trends
The answer comes from a second motor on the front axle. Some tweaks to the front and rear engine have made the car a little heavier, but the overall performance and safety benefits from it. The thing is, now instead of stomping on the pedal, you just need to kick it, hard.
Doing this allow the potentiometer to open the electron floodgate in the batter much sooner than usual, which gives the car an acceleration that allows it to move at a surreal speed of acceleration. All of this combines for a whopping zero-to-sixty time of 3.1 seconds!
I think Motor Trend put it perfectly in their review:
“The quickest-accelerating sedan in the world isn’t German anymore. It’s from California.”
Wow, just wow! On top of this, the Tesla Model S has seen some excellent little tweaks to the rest of the package. The standard seats are far better in quality, the whiplash protection is improved, and the doors open wider. Combine all of this with bigger sun-visors, and you have a car that is all-round better than its predecessor.
What Musk’s Tweet Meant
You may have seen the tweet from Elon Musk just before the unveiling where he said “About time to unveil the D and something else.” This sent people into a frenzy of speculation, ultimately leading to the reveal of a new feature: Autopilot.
This feature adds a number of sensors that seek to match what companies like Lexus, German car brands, and Cadillac are bringing to the table. The standard package will include hardware and safety features, but the Tech Package will set you back $4250. This variation will include a long-range radar, a single forward-looking camera, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.
Motor Trends
These fancy sensors will maintain a bubble around the car that allows for emergency stops, lane-keeping, and automatic following in stop-and-go traffic. At the end of the day, it’s not perfect, but it’s good to see Tesla keeping up with the competition in this regard, and smoking them in others.
You’re probably wondering what the Tesla P85D price is. It will set you back roughly $105,670 for the base model without any of the bells and whistles. Not a bad price at all, considering you’ll never pay for a gallon of gas again.
