Rumors have swirled that comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno set a quarter-mile record behind the wheel of the Tesla Model S Plaid. In a new interview from CNBC, Leno confirms the dragstrip performance.
“It was a winner,” Leno said. “I mean, it is now the fastest production car you can buy. Faster than any Ferrari, faster than any $3.5 million Bugatti.”
Under the supervision of Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, Leno piloted the car at Famoso Dragway in Bakersfield, Calif. The record was previously set in 2018 by the Bugatti Chiron Sport, doing a pass in 9.4 seconds at 158 mph.
Tesla revealed the details on the Model S Plaid this last week. The four-door sedan has a range of 405 miles per charge, considerably more than the 390 miles originally announced. It will also have a Supercharging speed to 187 miles of range in 15 minutes. Chief Executive Elon Musk said the vehicle will feature the company’s most advanced battery technology to date.
Acceleration is one of the most amazing features of the Model S Plaid. The car will travel from 0-60 mph in under two seconds. With a single-speed transmission, the car will speed to more than 200 mph.
Watch the CNBC interview with Leno below.
