The Tesla Model S Plaid just became the first car from the automaker’s fleet to hit an 8-second quarter-mile and, many will argue, has now become the first production car to drive a quarter-mile in sub 9 seconds.
Earlier this month, couple George and Christine Dodworth headed to the Maryland International Raceway during the Hot Rod Magazine Dragweek for a run in the Plaid and hit an official 8.994 seconds at 155.10 mph (250 km/h) on the timesheet.
Christine Dodworth and her Tesla Model S Plaid
The stock Model S Plaid boasts 1,020 horsepower, but weighs in at a girthy 2,162 kilograms. Notably, the Dodworth’s Model S Plaid had no powertrain or body modification, but the passenger seat was removed and the driver seat was replaced with a racing bucket to reduce the weight of the vehicle, and they used ‘performance-oriented’ wheels and tires.
Christine Dodworth and her Tesla Model S Plaid time slip
The Model S Plaid’s impressive performance should come as no surprise, as the Model S Plaid previously beat the record for a fastest quarter-mile by a production car with a 9.2-second performance back in June. It can do 0 to 100 km/h in under two seconds.
The Rimac Nevara is also a close competitior in this category, with the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.85 seconds. The Nevara, for reference, is a $2.5 million specialty car with limited production, while Tesla’s Model S Plaid starts at $165,970 and already has thousands of units on the road.
