Tesla Model S P85D hits the dyno, produces 1170 Nm [video]

 

A quick catch-up and some photos (at last). Pictures could be better, I took them in low light so I had to open up the aperture and slow the shutter speed, so they are a bit soft. Still, should give you a good idea.

After having the P85D for a month or so, I started looking into protective film for the car. Given the horrible swirl marks on the Jag, I was looking for peace of mind. Granted, the Jag is black, but still.

I was lucky to find an awesome local installer. Premier Auto Services - Premier Clear Bra - Premier Clear Guard - Paint Protection Film

I went with the works, having the entire car wrapped in very thick protective layer with a slightly satin effect. The work is exceptional, almost impossible to spot a single seam or cut line. It cost way more than I expected to pay, but after doing a week of research I can safely say that I got what I paid for. The pictures tell the story, but the effect differs greatly in directly sunlight versus indirect light versus @ night. My Tesla was a fairly light Silver, it now is not mirror-reflective, but still catches light and has some dull gloss. So not entirely matted-out but still way different from stock. 7 or so year warranty on discoloration or peeling.

The car has been an absolute blast. I'll admit that I'm having a hard time driving anything else. Sadly, I'm not sure if I can justify keeping the XKR, as it gets such little use. I need to keep an ICE powered fun car, but think I may have to up the ante to keep with the Tesla.

It is an amazing blend of practicality, smoothness, and utter brutality. The power is shocking even after a couple of months, and the handling and ride continue to impress.

I'm not without complaints. The interior quality is sorely lacking for the price. Service has been so-so. And overall fit & finish isn't up to Jag or MB level. The climate controls aren't up to what you'd get in a new MB @ this cost, and the headlights don't feel as powerful as those on the XKR, which seem to light up the darkest canyons with ease. Other small complaints (window wipers consistently leave streaks, some body panels aren't perfectly aligned, the rear tail lights aren't sealed perfectly and some moisture and pollen have leaked in, etc). All hopefully will be sorted out by Tesla when I drop her off @ the factory with my list of little issues.

That said, the front seats are amazingly high quality. Really supportive and ultra-solid, thrones with tons of lateral support. Storage is crazy, and the rear seats are the most impressive three-seaters I've ever seen. So they got the big stuff right. Did I mention the INSANE amount of torque? Yes? Ok, 'nuff said.

The regenerative braking is a great feature, I'm finally used to using it to drive more smoothly, using less energy and less brakes, and substituting it for having to constantly go from the throttle to brakes back to throttle when cornering @ speed (or even @ the speed limit).

Despite the crazy performance, the car does one thing better than any car I've been in: stopping and going. Living in the bay area and doing my fair share of in city driving and slogging through traffic, I can say with confidence that there are few (if any) cars that are capable of the crushing performance while making stop and go driving utterly painless. The sense of a complete lack of reciprocating mass, regenerative brakes, utter lack of engine noise, smell, or heat all combine to make city driving effortless (and still fun, as it only takes a half block to summon up the endless thrust). Stop and go is made easier by radar-adaptive cruise that stops the car completely and resumes following the car in front of you when things start moving again.

Again, back to the acceleration. The best analogy would be having a very powerful and torquey car that is completely silent and nailing it in a short first gear. The nose of the car lifts as you launch, only imagine instead of hitting red line and having the car shift to second or third, the car silently and without complaint will rev to 100,000 RPM and the front of the car never comes down until you back off the throttle, crushing unsuspecting passengers into their head rests as you've maybe seen in videos. A unique experience.

Love switching back and forth to the Jag, but I doubt I've put more than 300 miles on the XKR since taking delivery of the P85D. Oddly the XKR feels like it has more technology in it, with all the cooling system, transmission, etc., where the Tesla feels utterly simple. I'll undoubtedly have a hard time moving on from the XKR and am planning a long road trip in her to make up for lost time.

Ok, thanks for reading and as promised, a few pictures taken @ twilight.

Skeeter

 

That was a very well written and insightful review...thanks for sharing!


The car looks and sounds very exciting, and a unique driving experience.


Congratulations on a great choice...and I half expect to see one on the race track now!


Bruce

 

So are you selling the xkr? My wife is bugging me for one....