Tesla Model S P100D

Having already made a name for themselves as the brand that consistently shatters our collective expectations for what an electric car is and could be, Tesla Motors has yet again raised the bar. Nothing shy of mind-blowing, the introduction of their newest iteration of Model S sedan, the P100D, comes loaded with a bountiful boast: the claim that it ranks third in regards to fastest accelerating production car ever built – behind the now bygone LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder – thanks to a 0-60 mph time of just 2.5 seconds. That means, if their claim can be sustained, the Tesla Model S P100D is set to be the quickest mass-produced electric car ever built. By a long shot.

This bombast is thanks to the model’s inclusion of something called the ‘Ludicrous mode’ – Spaceballs, anyone? – which is a $10,000 ill-defined performance upgrade (currently available as a retrofit to the already purchasable Model S P90D) that increases the 0-60mph acceleration time by about 10%. This new version also comes equipped with a 100 kWh battery, increasing the vehicle’s range from roughly 265 miles-per-charge to a much-improved 315 miles-per-charge – for another $10k over the base price of a P90D. When this fully-loaded all-wheel-drive option is released in 2017, it will retail starting at $134,500. [Purchase]