CRAZY speculation: Plaid

[malcolm]

Okay.

Maybe it's the Part 1 koolade kicking in...

Maybe it's the Falcon barge landing....

I think Model 3 will get the Plaid option.

I REALLY hope it doesn't get announced at Part 2 but is kept for maybe 2020. Otherwise the Internet will melt/the moon will turn red/cats and dogs will be living together etc etc

Evidence?

Back in 2010 how many of us thought that Tesla would build a sedan (0-60: 3.1/2.8) that would out-accelerate the Roadster (0-60: 3.7). I mean, why on earth would you do that? That's completely unnecessary, right? No one else in the car industry does that - then or now.

And yet here we are.

So why make a Model 3 with the option to out-accelerate a Ludicrous S? Why on earth would you do that? That's completely unnecessary, right?

Of course Tesla did it with the S. The Roadster was a +$100k vehicle that only sold in thousands whereas a Ludicrous S is a...er.... Okay yes it's also a +$100k vehicle, but at least it sells in the tens of thousands.

Model 3 is definitely going to sell in the hundreds of thousands just as it stands. With a promised 0-60 of under 6 seconds. It will probably have a Ludicrous option. Even though it's crazy/ unnecessary.

But why top that? Why provide an option to give even greater sports car acceleration to something which is so very clearly not a sports car?

That's just crazy/unnecessary, right?

 

[geturchiru]

Sure. Why not if the profit margin is better with Model3 and if its feasible!!

 

[TEG]

...
Back in 2010 how many of us thought that Tesla would build a sedan (0-60: 3.1/2.8) that would out-accelerate the Roadster (0-60: 3.7). I mean, why on earth would you do that? That's completely unnecessary, right? No one else in the car industry does that - then or now.
...

Nope, nope... I think I predicted a lot of things Tesla would do fairly well, but Insane and Ludicrous just wasn't something I ever expected they would get out of Model S.
I suppose with Elon wanting everything to at least equal his old Mclaren F1 for acceleration, the engineering staff was given that crazy challenge.

 

[ken830]

Evidence?

Back in 2010 how many of us thought that Tesla would build a sedan (0-60: 3.1/2.8) that would out-accelerate the Roadster (0-60: 3.7). I mean, why on earth would you do that? That's completely unnecessary, right? No one else in the car industry does that - then or now

But they stopped selling the Roadster when the Model S was released, so there was no reason to hold back Model S performance for the sake of Roadster sales. As far as anyone can tell, they aren't going to stop selling Model S when the Model 3 is released.

 

[Bimbels]

I think plaid will be limited to the new roadster - at least initially. I have no basis for that though.

 

[yesup]

I think Model 3 will get the Plaid option.....
So why make a Model 3 with the option to out-accelerate a Ludicrous S? Why on earth would you do that? That's completely unnecessary, right?

In one of the test drive video, Doug Field, VP of engineering, said that there will be version of Model 3 which will be faster than the one they were driving, but it will be slower than Model S.

 

[paulp]

When ludicrous was introduced, elon musk specifically stated that "there would be no more speed for model s, as the only thing faster than ludicrous is plaid, and thats reserved for the new roadster"

 

[rjhoskins]

Personally I feel like the top of the line 3 will do 0-60 in the 3.5 to 3.9 second range. That's faster than my Macan Turbo and my Macan is fast enough for my needs.

 

[YBT]

I think plaid will be limited to the new roadster - at least initially. I have no basis for that though.

Agreed - I think that Plaid will be saved for the Roadster.

But maybe - just maybe - the M3 Ludicrous will have a faster launch that a Ludicrous S. It's a lighter car with lower CD, and all they need to do is shave 0.1 of a second from the 0 - 100km/h for people to lose their collective minds.

 

[lolachampcar]

BeVs really lend themselves to MS and M3 type applications where the vehicle can carry some weight. The problem I see with a Roadster replacement is that sportscars normally require a diet to be truly nimble. The Elise was a nice car with the Sport 190 variant a wonderful little car. The Roadster is a pig by comparison simply for having to haul around the mass of a battery.

There is no way (yet) to come close to the energy density of gas. The place where electric plays a decisive roll is in augmenting ICE and filling in torque gaps. Electric does an outstanding job of low speed torque while ICE does equally well at high speed hp. Combine the two and you have a well rounded balanced car. Given that the electric side is responsible for impulse energy from low speeds, the battery can be small enough that the overall system's performance significantly outweighs the add mass of the battery and small motor. Doing this with rear ICE and front BeV allows for creative traction control.

Today the above solutions only exist in the 918s, P1s and LFs of this world but that will change quickly. Imagine Tesla's small motor in the front of something like a McLaren Super Sport series (12c, 650, 570). Drop the hp of the ICE and flatten out the torque curve all while adding 5 kw-hr of front drive impulse energy. It would transform the platform. Porsche is doing similar things with their race cars so you can bet these technologies will migrate to the mid-priced street car range eventually. Those will be exciting days as they will represent a step change in speed and drivability.

Fun times but I do not see Tesla touching ICE with a ten foot poll which, for me, makes a next gen Roadster unlikely. It is more likely they would simply do a lower impedance battery option for an existing platform. Can you imagine holding that one second torque level generated by the Px0DL platform for four or five seconds?

 

[CyberKnife]

One thing to consider is the 3 is a car with budget in mind. Budget buyers is likely going to look at whether they would trade couple or few options they can afford or get just only plaid speed upgrade.

If they offered the plaid option and the cost is equal to autopilot and larger battery, I definitely pick the latter options.

 

[S'toon]

IIRC Elon said in his twitter storm last week that plaid was still reserved for the next Roadster.

 

[The_Gooch]

I don't know why people keep saying ludicrous will be on the M3. I haven't read or seen anything hinting at it. If anything since this is their slowest car wouldn't it's speed options be just plain Light Speed? Then S/X platform has Ludicrous and Elon has already said Plaid is reserved for the new roadster around 2020. I'm sure the M3 will be the fastest in its class but I doubt it gets a ludicrous speed button.

 

[doublejj]

I can see no reason Elon wouldn't include Luda mode in the M3. It's an easy money maker & will be in high demand.....=profit

 

[tga]

Insane, Ludicrous, Plaid. Essentially, these are all just marketing terms. It's not like Ludicrous means "2.8 0-60", regardless of the platform.

The car will have the option of high acceleration/short 0-60 times. What name they attach to it is irrelevant.

Luda

Oh goodie. Another annoying truncation is entering the lexicon. Possibly even more annoying than Linux users who started saying "distro" years ago because they were too lazy/cool to say "distribution".

 

[Laserbrain]

In one of the test drive video, Doug Field, VP of engineering, said that there will be version of Model 3 which will be faster than the one they were driving, but it will be slower than Model S.

I think the M3 will get Ridiculous Speed:

(Picture from this thread)

And the new roadster gets Plaid.

 

[SΞXY P100D]

Ridiculous Speed

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Honestly, my Audi does 0-60 in the low 4's.....with a bunch of noise of course, and that's pretty damn fast for me. Fastest I've ever owned anyway.

If the Model 3 can do it in the 3.8-4.0 range in Ludicrous, even better.


**note, I do not NEED that much speed...except at a few of our local onramps or rotaries...I just WANT it. Why? because this car will be part of my midlife cri....I mean Halftime Celebration, as I turn 40 next spring.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Honestly, my Audi does 0-60 in the low 4's.....with a bunch of noise of course, and that's pretty damn fast for me. Fastest I've ever owned anyway.

If the Model 3 can do it in the 3.8-4.0 range in Ludicrous, even better.


**note, I do not NEED that much speed...except at a few of our local onramps or rotaries...I just WANT it. Why? because this car will be part of my midlife cri....I mean Halftime Celebration, as I turn 40 next spring.

You will be in the spring of your mid life crisis.

Same Here....I turn 50 next spring. That's Ludicrous isn't it?

 

[James Anders]

I hope they don't use the term "Plaid". Even the uninitiated and non-SpaceBalls fans get the terms "Insane" and "Ludicrous".

Plaid is too tightly bound to the movie and would have to be explained, etc.

By all means, Tesla should keep on upping the performance level but let's just keep it Ludicrous.

Which brings up another issue for me. There should be just one Performance option and that should include Ludicrous. Yes, the 0-60 is amazing but punching the go pedal at say 50 MPH with a Ludicrous P90D isn't really all that insane. It's really great but that level of performance when you punch it at 40-60 is what one would expect with a true performance car.

Here's hoping that the Ludicrous surcharge just goes away. And if need be, perhaps the cost of the Performance option is bumped up a bit, but certainly not a $10K premium.