Tesla CEO Elon Musk exhibited Model S Plaid, the electric car manufacturer's fastest vehicle to date amid much fanfare at an event for buyers at the company's factory in Fremont, California late Thursday.
The company aims to reignite interest in the nearly decade-old sedan and stave off rivals such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Lucid Motors in the luxury EV (electric vehicle) market.
The event was closely followed the world over. Backing the top-notch performance capabilities for Model S Plaid, Elon Musk also focused on the role the vehicle is likely to play in Tesla's product line.
"Why make this really fast car that's crazy fast?" he asked. Dressed in a leather jacket and black jeans, Elon Musk further stated that "it's something that's quite important to the future of sustainable energy. We've gotta show that an electric car is the best car, hands down."
Tesla presently makes four vehicles: the Model S, X, 3, and Y, where the 3 and Y account for the large majority of worldwide sales.
Musk stated that the Model S Plaid has a range of around 400 miles per charge, a top speed of 200 miles per hour, and can go from 0 to 60 mph in under 2 seconds. According to Tesla's website, Model S Plaid costs around $130,000.
"This is what I call limit-of-physics engineering," Elon Musk said. The Model S, which is Tesla's breakthrough sedan, was first delivered in 2012.
The expression "Plaid Mode: is a reference to the 1987 comedy film Spaceballs starring Mel Brooks. Touting the car's entertainment system, Elon Musk added that it was the level of a PlayStation5, whilst the sound system has the feel of a home-theatre experience.
"If you think about where the future of the car is, often in Autopilot or self-driving mode, then entertainment is going to become increasingly important," he noted.
"You're going to want to watch movies, play games, use the internet," Elon Musk said.