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Tesla Model S Plaid achieves new quarter-mile world record in 9.2 seconds

The new Tesla Model S Plaid has reportedly achieved a new quarter-mile world record with a 9.2-second run, according to Jay Leno, who was at the racetrack for the record attempt.

After several months of delays, Tesla is apparently finally going to start deliveries of the new and updated Model S next week, including the new top performance Plaid version.

The automaker announced some impressive specs with 390 miles of range, 200 mph top speed, and 1.99 second 0-60 mph acceleration.

Over the last few months, Tesla was spotted bringing prototypes to racetracks around California to test those specs, like pictured above (via The Killowatts), and it has been expected to break some records with its new top performance car.

Now Jay Leno, who is one of the few car reviewers that Tesla still works directly with, says that one of those records is now official.

On a new episode of the Spike’s Car Radio podcast, the comedian-turned-car show host says that he went down to the Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield last month to watch Tesla break the quarter-mile record.

Leno said that he saw the Tesla Model S Plaid run the quarter-mile in 9.247 seconds at 152 mph, and a National Hot Rod Association official was there to make it official.

There are not many production vehicles that can achieve a 10-second quarter-mile and especially not family-size four-door sedans.

One electric car has achieved that this week however. The $2+ million dollar Rimac Nevera with 1914HP motors crushed a Ferrari in a drag race and set an unofficial world record quarter mile time of 8.6 seconds. But that’s a 2-seater hypercar and Tesla’s Plaid Model S is a 7-seat sedan.

It would actually make the new Tesla Model S Plaid the fastest production vehicle ever based on the quarter-mile metric.

Here’s the list of the top 10 fastest production vehicles ever based on quarter-mile runs (via Wikipedia):

Car ModelModel YearTime excluding 1 ft rolloutTime from standingNotes
Bugatti Chiron Sport20189.4 s at 254.3 km/h (158 mph)N/ALimited to 500 produced
Porsche 918 Spyder20159.7 s at 233.4 km/h (145 mph)9.81 s at 238.6 km/h (148.3 mph)Limited to 918 produced, hybrid-electric, naturally aspirated
McLaren P120159.8 s at 239.6 km/h (148.9 mph)10.2 s at 237.4 km/h (147.5 mph)Limited to 375 produced, hybrid-electric
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport2010N/A9.9 s at 239 km/h (148.5 mph)Limited to 30 produced
McLaren 720S20189.9 s at 238.5 km/h (148.2 mph)10.02 s at 234.1 km/h (145.5 mph)NA
McLaren Senna201910.1 s at 237.3 km/h (147.5 mph)N/ALimited to 500 produced
Bugatti Veyron200610.1 s at 228.5 km/h (142 mph)N/ALimited to 420 produced
Ferrari 488 Pista201910.1 s at 231.9 km/h (144.1 mph)10.2 s at 230 km/h (142.9 mph)N/A
Porsche 911 Turbo S (992)202010.1 s at 220.5 km/h (137 mph)10.28 s at 217.32 km/h (135.04 mph)Rear-engine, with 2+2 seats
Lamborghini Huracán Performante201810.2 s at 218.9 km/h (136 mph)10.26 s at 220.7 km/h (137.1 mph)Naturally aspirated

As you can see, most of those vehicles are $1 million supercars, and the Model S Plaid will stand out as a $120,000 luxury sedan that happens to have insane performance.

Tesla is likely going to announce the Model S Plaid’s new record at a delivery event set for June 10.

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Avatar for Fred Lambert Fred Lambert

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