With high hopes to push closer to a low 7-minute lap time this time around, Tesla’s tri-motor prototype with a newly refreshed and performance-oriented body kit is expected to further distance itself from rival Porsche Taycan in track performance.

A blue widebody Model S with “Dual Motor” badge included a noticeably different side vent behind each flared front fender, likely added to improve airflow and reduce aerodynamic lift. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, side vents are commonly found on high-performance vehicles and designed to combat the turbulent airflow that’s generated inside the wheel well as a result of the rotation of the tire. The modification becomes increasingly more valuable at high speeds.

The Nürburgring often referred to as the “Green Hell” is one of the more demanding circuits in the world, requiring a combination of high speed and extensive hard braking due to the circuit’s aggressive changes in elevation, high speed sweeping turns and blind corners. Tesla’s introduction of the side vent in its Plaid Model S prototype is expected to provide increased cooling for the massive carbon-ceramic brakes located upfront.

Teslarati also spotted a massive rear diffuser on the refreshed blue Model S Plaid. Rear diffusers are designed to increase downforce at high speeds by accelerating low-pressure air beneath the car and channeling it through the rear of the vehicle. By smoothing out airflow and decreasing drag, the rear diffuser can also aid in handling.

All of these new features, including the large rear spoiler with Gurney flap, have likely undergone a month of simulation testing in between Tesla’s visits to the actual Nürburgring. Assuming that Tesla’s record lap time last month was simply a benchmark test to determine the vehicle’s baseline performance, the additional measures taken by the Silicon Valley-based automaker prove one thing: they are coming to break every record set by any car at the track. We already know that the company is planning an extended stay at the Green Hell with the addition of an in-house Supercharger installation at the track, as well as Elon Musk’s additional plans to smash all-time track records with the 2020 Roadster. However, the real insight of these further developments proves the company’s competitive streak and shows their hunger to be recognized as the best performance car available for consumers on the market today.

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No stranger to getting behind the wheel of some of the world’s quickest performance cars, May’s bout with Tesla’s flagship sedan left the veteran auto journalist in high praise of the all-electric beast – the P100D.

May mentioned several of the vehicle’s merits in his review, such as its power, technology, and its quiet, comfortable ride. The former Top Gear host even acknowledged the vehicle as America’s next-generation muscle car.

“The Tesla Model S P100D is the greatest muscle car America has ever produced — which means, it’s the greatest muscle car the world has ever produced,” May commented.

May did mention that the vehicle is unique in the way that Tesla is unique, even if some of the cars’ basic characteristics such as its panels have not reached the level of refinement as entries from veteran automakers. Pointing out some of the P100D’s quirky features that are based on Elon Musk’s sense of humor such as Fart Mode, May notes that there is simply no other car like the Model S on the road today, and from an automaker that is unlike anyone else in the industry.

These sentiments emerged in full force as soon as May pushed down on the accelerator after engaging in Ludicrous Mode, rocketing the amily sedan from 0-60 in less than 2.5 seconds. His run was short, but May’s reaction is priceless, reminiscent of celebrity car reviewer Jay Leno’s expression when he took a test ride in the next-generation Tesla Roadster.

May’s observations of the Tesla Model S P100D stands as yet another sign that electric cars are starting to gain respect and acceptance from the traditional auto community. Much like his fellow The Grand Tour presenter Jeremy Clarkson, May is a classic “car guy,” known for his fondness of V12-powered Ferraris and other high-performance vehicles over the years. Thus, his rather enthusiastic reaction to the Model S P100D shows that well-designed electric cars are gaining acceptance among traditional car enthusiasts. It also reinforces the point that Telsa succeeded not just in making a good electric car; it succeeded in making an excellent car, period.

Watch James May experience the Ludicrous Tesla Model S P100D at the DriveTribe.

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The Florida-based organization opted to survey its audience about the vehicles they would like to be included in this year’s sweepstakes. The Tesla Model S P100D, one of the cars on the list of vehicles, dominated the survey. As per the survey’s results, the organization acquired a blue Tesla Model S P100D with white interior. The all-electric high-performance sedan has been given some modifications, too — two for style and one for handling — in the form of aftermarket wheels, a carbon fiber interior trim, and lowered suspension. 

The Tesla Model S P100D being offered in Dream Giveaway’s sweepstakes. [Credit: Dream Giveaway]

Joining the Model S P100D sweepstakes is just a matter of purchasing tickets for the promotion. The sweepstakes would run from August 26 to June 2019, and on July 15, 2019, Dream Giveaway would be drawing the winner, who would then be flown to FL (if needed or requested) for the vehicle’s handover. The organization notes that there are no strings attached to the contest, and that it would pay all the electric car’s taxes in full, a $35,000 value. Tesla’s home wall charger will also be included with the vehicle.

While winning a Tesla Model S P100D is an undoubtedly sweet deal that is difficult to pass up, it should be noted that the electric car’s promotion would actually benefit several humanitarian causes. Dream Giveaway’s promotions are sponsored by New Beginning Children’s Homes, which gives unrestricted grants to six charities; namely, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Honor Flight of West Central Florida, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, Smile Network International, the National Guard Educational Foundation (NGEF), and Bright Pink. Thus, every ticket bought for the Model S P100D giveaway is also an addition to the funds given to these charities. 

Dream Giveaway’s brand new Tesla Model S P100D with CW-55 wheels wrapped in high-performance Continental Extreme Contact tires. [Credit: Dream Giveaway]

The Tesla Model S P100D is the first all-electric car that Dream Giveaway is raffling off. Over the past 11 years, the company has been giving away powerful gas-powered vehicles. This year alone, the company is also raffling off a pair of Chevrolet Corvettes, a pair of Bullitt Ford Mustangs, a rare Dodge Haulcat (a Hellcat-powered pickup), and a limited edition Dodge Viper ACR beside the P100D.

That being said, the organization notes that while Tesla does not call the P100D a muscle car, the vehicle has all the characteristics of an all-American muscle car, as reflected in its power, performance, and fun factor. The Dream Giveaway team also notes that the vehicle has already made a fair number of auto enthusiasts into believers of electric-powered propulsion, particularly when it catapults from 0-60 mph in 2.2 seconds under Ludicrous Mode.

Support Dream Giveaway’s cause and enter in a chance to win a Tesla Model S P100D.

Dream Giveaway contacted Teslarati and asked for support in raising awareness of New Beginning Children’s Homes and their role in providing long-term residential care for foster children. The Tesla Model S P100D prize represents a notable shift for the organization (by request of past donors) that has historically only offered muscle cars in their sweepstakes.

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Though the 21″ forged aluminum Arachnid wheels have been available for nearly two years since May of 2016, they were not available for purchase and attainable only through Tesla’s referral program. Owners referring five or more qualifying sales of a Model S or Model X were awarded a set of the lightweight, high-performance wheels, available in the color silver, grey and black.

Tesla is offering the Arachnid wheel only in the color black to Model S P100D buyers looking to tack on an additional $4,500 to the price of its flagship sedan and winner of Motor Trend’s “World’s Greatest Drag Race”.

Tesla Referral Program selection screen for the Arachnid Wheels

In addition to the Black Arachnid Wheel being made available as an option for purchase through Tesla’s online configurator, the company is also bringing back ventilated seats. This option is only available in the P100D premium packages for both Model S and Model X, and a feature that’s designed with small vents for circulating air and keeping the front seats cool and dry.

Tesla offered ventilated seats before they quietly discontinued them in early 2017. The seats were first introduced in the Model X before becoming an available option for the Model S. There was no official comment on why the option was removed. However, owners were wary if the upgraded option actually worked. Tesla was also trying to streamline its production at the time to make it cheaper and quicker to produce cars. Hopefully, the seats will work better this time around.

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DragTimes took a Model X P100D to Florida’s Palm Beach International Raceway to do battle with a Jeep ‘Trackhawk’ that puts down 707 HP from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 Hellcat motor. Both vehicles stack up relatively well in terms of weight, with the high-tech, all-electric Tesla tipping the scales at 5,700 pounds and Jeep’s latest Frankenstein-of-a-Cherokee not much lighter at a hefty 5,500 pounds.

Though it doesn’t come as that much of a surprise, the Model X P100D lays the smackdown on the supercharged Jeep in their heads up drag race. Despite the Trackhawk having more horsepower, the instant acceleration that comes by way of Tesla’s individually controlled electric motors and all-wheel drive system makes it virtually unbeatable when it comes to a short distance race from a standstill.

With limited top end power and no transmission, Tesla’s instantaneous acceleration eventually gives way to higher horsepower vehicles that can change gears. That is, of course, until 2020 when Tesla’s highly anticipated, tri-electric motor Roadster takes the stage to lay the smackdown on internal combustion performance cars once and for all.

“The point of doing this [Roadster] is to give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars” – Elon Musk

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How? By lining the car with bulletproof material and armor, of course. The Utah-based company has created what it bills as the ‘Fastest Bulletproof Car in the World” in its latest creation.

According to Armormax, the lightweight armoring division of International Armoring Corporation (IAC), they were able to accomplish something special with the first-ever full-armor Model S P100D. Since the electric car gained its reputation for its insane acceleration and its impressive performance on the road, one thing that the US firm did not want to compromise was the Tesla’s weight. Thus, for Armormax, one of the things that they had to achieve was a delicate balance between reinforcing the Model S P100D with armor and keeping its performance virtually untouched.

The Model S P100D is fitted with bulletproof glass and a blacked out armored roof with Armormax material, according to the following photos submitted by the company.

Looking at the finished product, it definitely seems like Armormax was able to do just that. According to the Utah-based aftermarket firm, the Model S P100D’s reinforcements were created using Armormax’s proprietary synthetic fiber laminate armor. Since there was entirely no ballistic steel used in the configuration, Armormax was able to make the Model S P100D’s armor 80 percent lighter than conventional steel.

Overall, the armor for the entire vehicle only added 550 pounds to the car’s original weight. Compared to the usual 3,000 pounds of extra weight that usually results from ballistic steel reinforcements, Armormax’s Model S P100D project definitely fits the bill of being lightweight and incredibly durable.

According to the Utah-based aftermarket firm, however, one particular function of the Model S P100D was lost due to the armoring process. Due to the 2-inch bulletproof glass used on the vehicle, none of the electric car’s windows open anymore. Nevertheless, permanently closed windows are a small price to pay for the electric car’s capability to deflect fire from high-powered rifles and handguns.

Armormax did not disclose the identity of the vehicle’s owner, though the US-based firm did state that the special Tesla was an order from a businessman in the Middle East. Considering that the entire armoring process took roughly 650 man-hours and $72,500 in total cost, however, it seems like the special Model S P100D’s owner is valuing safety over affordability.

The US-based aftermarket armoring firm asserts that the decrease in the Tesla Model S P100D’s performance resulting from the aftermarket modification was negligible. While the speed and acceleration of the electric car might not be affected that much, however, there is a pretty good chance that the armored Model S P100D’s range might have been adversely affected as well.

Check out some of Armormax’s demos in the videos below. 

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A new link that reads “Schedule a service appointment” has been added to a section under the “Tesla Account” section of its website, previously know as “MyTesla”. The addition is part of the company’s commitment to improving customer service experience for car owners, while also streamlining the company’s internal process for scheduling and managing appointments.

Those looking to book their own service appointment online are taken through a multi-step process. The first screen asks the vehicle owner to select from a list of nearby Tesla service locations, where work can be performed. Along with displaying the address and contact information for each location is a date for the next available appointment.

“Select a Tesla Service Center. Please note that if you require more immediate service, please contact the Service Center at the phone number listed to inquire about earlier availability. If your preferred location is not available, please call (877) 798-3752 to schedule your service appointment.” reads the description for the Service Location screen.

The next screen in the three-step process contains a list of available appointment dates and times for vehicle drop-off at the specified location.

Once an appointment date and time is selected, owners are asked to provide a description for the vehicle issues being encountered. Tesla owners can also specify whether they need taxi service, a loaner vehicle, or do not require alternate transportation.

As Tesla prepares for volume production of its Model 3 sedan in early 2018, the company is taking a prescriptive approach when it comes to establishing an efficient service model that will support its growing fleet of vehicles.

Tesla increased its volume of mobile service vevhiles in early 2017 and had the following to say about it.

“Ahead of the Model 3 launch, we are reengineering and expanding our operations as we anticipate the needs of a much larger family of Tesla owners. In service, since more than 80% of our repairs are so minor that they can be done remotely, we are expanding our mobile repair service that allows Tesla to make vehicle repairs at an owner’s home or office.”

In addition to the company’s pledge to create a denser service network, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that all service fleet vehicles will be equipped with the very best upgrades.

“Our policy for service loaners is that the service loaner fleet will be the very best version of a Tesla that is available” said Musk in May. “If you have a Model X that comes in for service, the service loaner you will get will be the absolute fully loaded state-of-the-art P100D Ludicrous … Model X that we have. Same for Model S.”

Musk adds, “It will be the kind of thing where you hope service takes a long time because you have the absolute top-of-the-line as a service loaner.”

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“Tesla customers who have ordered a P90D Ludicrous, but not taken delivery, can upgrade to the 100 kWh pack for $10,000. Existing P90D Ludicrous owners can also upgrade to a 100 kWh pack, but for $20,000, as their used 90 kWh pack will have to be recycled.” said Tesla in a blog post from August 2016.

Now, fourteen months later, Tesla P90DL owners are reporting service appointments being made for the 90 kWh to 100 kWh performance battery pack upgrade, with first installs taking place as early as next week.

Tech_Guy who first discovered Tesla’s performance-limiting algorithm, something the company would later remove through an over-the-air software update, is unsurprisingly first in line for the P90DL to P100D upgrade.

The following invoice shows a line item for a 100 kWh battery pack upgrade with part number 1135371-00-A. The upgrade is being made available to select P90DL vehicles that are equipped with the revised front fascia, air suspension and battery packs that have the proper connector (Tesla is known to make several battery revisions for the same vehicle model, sometimes requiring different hardware between packs).

Tesla service request for P90DL to P100D upgrade [Credit: Tech_Guy]

Beyond the increase in battery capacity from 90 kWh to 100 kWh, and addition of Ludicrous plus mode, the upgrade package will also replace the P90DL’s “next gen seats” with current production premium seats that have been crash tested with the more powerful 100 kWh battery pack.

DON’T MISS: What makes the Tesla 100 kWh battery so different?

The communication by Tesla serves as relief to anxious buyers of the performance upgrade, many of whom were placed on an interest list for nearly a year, and initially told that the retrofit was yet to be released. “We are diligently working on it, but no release date is currently available. You remain on the interest list, hence you will be contacted as soon as details become available.” said Tesla in Jan of 2017.

Tesla did not provide reasons for the year-long delay, but one can speculate that it had to do with the initial production shortfall of the company’s largest 100 kWh battery pack. CEO Elon Musk noted in October 2016 during a company’s earnings call that the 100 kWh battery production line was one of his top three priorities. All the while, the company would continue to dump its inventory of Model S and X P90D vehicles, before finally discontinuing the 90 kWh battery pack and P90DL variant, thus making the P100D with Ludicrous+ its highest performing model.

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Tesla’s flagship Model S P100D dubbed as the “world’s quickest production car” and can rocket from 0-60 mph in a scant 2.5 seconds. A recent acceleration test of the Model S 100D by Drag Times revealed that the car is able to deliver a very respectable 0-60 mph time in 3.6 seconds, though Tesla markets it at 4.1 seconds.

ALSO SEE: How much quicker is a Model S P100D over a Ludicrous P90D?

However, having exotic-car-defeating super strength will cost you roughly one-third more than a comparably equipped 100D. Tesla charges a $36,000 premium to upgrade a Model S 100D to a P100D. The performance difference between both Model S variants is staggering, as Drag Times demonstrates in their latest drag race battle between the Model S P100D vs. 100D.

Despite the notable difference in acceleration, one has to ask: Is it worth the money to shave off an extra 1-second off of your 0-60 mph time? 

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It is my view that energy will be so low cost in the future that it will essentially be free if innovations in many laboratories come to fruition. The one solution that is readily available today for free energy is solar. Particularly in recent years the cost has dropped so radically that the payback for solar installation is less than five years.

So my goal is to eliminate oil consumption systematically and completely. My view is that oil is unnecessary and only used because business interests make a lot of money off it while destroying the planet. Only if we stop buying will they change their ways.

My first step was to move toward electric cars. However, I wanted a better car, a faster car, and a more fun car. I found that in the Tesla Roadster. I followed up on the Roadster purchase by buying a Tesla Model S P85D, followed by a Model S P100D which I like to think is a courtesy of my early investment into Tesla stock, and my overall support in an industry that so few people believed in at the time: electric cars.

CEO, Principal Consultant and Trainer at ScrumInc.com Jeff is the inventor and co-creator of Scrum. He is a West Point graduate, former fighter pilot and cancer researcher, as well as CTO of eleven different software companies.  He launched the first Scrum team in 1993 and has shepherded its growth into almost every industry: finance, healthcare, higher education and telecom.

We’re at the same crossroads again with the emerging solar industry. People hear about it, read about it, and form a general perception that solar is a good thing, but being involved requires high capital expenditures and personal involvement by way of installing solar panels onto one’s home or business. The solar market reminds me of Tesla before it was the Tesla that we know of today. People were once intrigued by the thought that cars could be powered by batteries and believed that getting involved was arguably a risky and expensive endeavor. But that market, as we now know, was destined to boom. Solar is in the same league.

“I have a personal goal to provide as much free electricity I can to others”

Beyond installing a solar and geothermal system on my home that’s large enough to offset more than $6000/year in oil costs, plus $6000 in electricity costs, and eliminates all gasoline expenses for my cars, I have a personal goal to provide as much free electricity I can to others. This is how I feel about life. We don’t need oil and energy should be free for all. My personal demonstration is to give energy away for free while generating a zero carbon footprint.

In order to expand the opportunity for people to experience free energy we need to make it easy to finance solar projects. In addition to my own projects, I’m teaming up with Wunder Capital and investing some of the money I am saving on energy to help others make a decision for a better life and a clean planet. It provides a good return on investment which I can then reinvest in more free solar energy projects.

– Jeff Sutherland
Tesla Roadster, Model S P85D, Model S P100D

Disclaimer: Any investment comes with risk. Please consult with a financial advisor before investing. Wunder Capital is a partner of Teslarati.

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