Tesla Model S Plaid: Design and features Both Model S Plaid models appear pretty much identical to one another, and the existing Model S. Which makes sense, because on the outside they are all the same car. You get the same old Sedan frame everyone is familiar with, with all those same options. Aerodynamics, style, a choice of 19- or 21-inch wheels, it’s all there. You also get the same 28 cubic feet of cargo space, a secure front trunk and room inside for five adults. You get all the usual features you’d expect from a Model S. That includes the tinted glass sunroof, Sentry Mode. mobile app control, a choice of yoke or wheeled steering, 22-speaker audio, wireless charging, HEPA air filtering, heated seats and steering wheel, and an array of hi-resolution displays. (Image credit: The Kilowatts @klwtts) Both the Tesla Model S Plaid comes with Autopilot as standard, which gives your car limited control over steering, acceleration, blind spot alerts and braking within a lane. You’re also able to add “Full Self Driving” Autopilot for an additional $15,000, which packs in lane change assist and auto navigation on the highway. If that is too much money, you can always opt for the $199 a month FSD subscription service which gives you all the same features for significantly less money. And there's no obligation or contracts, so you can cancel it anytime you like Full Self Driving is not full driver-free autonomy, though, so always make sure to pay attention to the road. The Tesla Model S Plaid was also speculated to include retractable spoiler, which emphasizes just how powerful and lightweight the car actually is. However, it doesn't appear as though this particular feature made it past the prototype stage and can't be found on production models. Tesla Model S Plaid: Interior (Image credit: Tesla) The Tesla Model S Plaid includes a 12.3-inch driver display, 8-inch second row display, and the 17-inch infotainment touchscreen. That infotainment display includes a 10 teraflop gaming computer, and wireless controller compatibility. Tesla has also redesigned the interior for a more comfortable ride. The front seats now have more headroom and legroom, while the backseats have more space in general. The new model also comes with hidden air vents, and like the Model 3 and Model Y users can control where the air flows using one of the car's two touchscreens. The Model S Plaid's infotainment system has had a major graphical overhaul, with a brand new customizable user interface and improved gesture control. That way it should be easier to control the various features inside the car mid-drive. Sadly there's no changing the fact that touchscreens are not very tactile, and are significantly harder to use accurately when you're not looking at them. Buyers also get a year’s free access to Tesla’s Premium Connectivity, which offers internet browsing, music streaming, ‘Careoke’, video streaming service access, live traffic and satellite-view maps. Finally Elon Musk confirmed that the audio system has been upgraded, and now features 22 adaptive speakers throughout the car. Not only will Tesla be able to improve quality via over the air updates, the system will alter the audio to best suit whatever content is playing at the time. Tesla Model S Plaid: Battery and range (Image credit: Tesla) The Tesla Model S Plaid is reported to have a 95kWh battery, which Tesla claims will offer up to 396 miles of range. That’s less than the long range Model S, which offers 405 miles on a single charge. However, that model isn’t nearly as fast. The car is set to be compatible with Tesla’s 250kW superchargers, which promises to offer 187 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Musk hinted that Tesla would be developing faster chargers in the future, with “280 kW, 300 kW and eventually 350 kW” speeds. But there's no timeline, and there's no telling whether those speeds will even be available on the current Model S Plaid. Tesla Model S Plaid Plus? (Image credit: Tesla) Originally Tesla had planned to release two Model S Plaid cars, the standard Plaid which has just launched and a more powerful "Plaid Plus". The Plaid Plus was set to arrive in mid-2022, with a significantly higher $144,490 price tag. However the upgraded model had been greyed out ever since Tesla confirmed the Plaid's June launch, before Elon Musk confirmed that the car had been cancelled. Musk's reasoning was that the standard Plaid was "more than good enough", which means the Plaid Plus wasn't necessary. He later clarified that he was specifically talking about range, claiming more than 400 miles of range on a car isn't needed. “What we are seeing is that once you have a range above 400 miles, more range doesn’t really matter", Musk said. "There are essentially zero trips above 400 miles where the driver doesn’t need to stop for restroom, food, coffee, etc. anyway.” So what was the difference? In addition to offering an extended 520 miles of range (powered by the 115kWh battery pack, the Plaid Plus was designed to be a lot more powerful than the standard Plaid model. That includes 1,100 horsepower, and what was alleged to be the fastest 0-60 (under 1.99 seconds) and quarter mile acceleration of any production car ever made. Inside we were looking at the exact same car, albeit significantly more expensive. But, sadly, it's not meant to be. If you want something better than the Model S Plaid, you're going to have to wait until 2023 and pick up the $200,000 2nd gen Tesla Roadster. Tesla Model S Plaid: Outlook (Image credit: Tesla) The Tesla Model S Plaid doesn't change much about Tesla's premium sedan, but the changes that have been made are still very important. The range of the Model S Plaid is particularly impressive, and proves that despite the increased number of electric cars on the road Tesla still has them beat. While one could argue that speed and acceleration aren't particularly important in a road car, those improvements still matter too. Not only is it another way the Tesla Model S Plaid manages to beat the competition, it also proves that you don't need to sacrifice power or speed to have an electric car. Which is more than enough to give those gasoline-fuelled sports cars a run for their money. Today's best Car and Driver Intellidash+ deals $99.99