Motor Trend reports 2.6 0 to 60!! In P90D. Launch control??

[stopcrazypp]

I always thought it would be useful to have the ability to enable a "launch mode" where you could hold your foot to the floor, the car not moving, and one of the steering wheel buttons acts as a launch button that ramps up the inverter drive as quickly as the electronics permits. The whole business of having to aggressively stomp on the pedal seems a bit antiquated.

I thought of that too. Stomping the pedal isn't too hard, but it should be easy to add such a mode. It would reduce the chances of a reviewer doing it the wrong way (even though that chance was slim, there was one Porsche vs Tesla review the driver was trying to preload the car like an ICE).

 

[lolachampcar]

It's a shame people that paid to purchase the car can not yet reproduce these results.

 

[callmesam]

It's a shame people that paid to purchase the car can not yet reproduce these results.

YET . . .

 

[scottf200]

EM promoted/publicized this with a tweet.

Image: http://i.imgur.com/ghtKJQf.png

 

[Footbag]

EM promoted/publicized this with a tweet.

Interesting he didn't call out P90D, but just Model S Ludicrous mode... does this raise hopes that P85Ds upgraded to Ludicrous will see that same performance?!?

 

[lolachampcar]

not when the tweet references a test of a P90DL
I wish I was on twitter so I could ask why customer cars are not capable of producing MT results

 

[ra-san]

I can't believe it hasn't been asked. Maybe I missed seeing it somehow. Regardless, I asked. As for the article, a lot about it seemed off/canned, like the horsepower and new motor stuff. For past experience, if something about an article seems wrong, I tend to attribute it to bad reporting for whatever various reason - always seems to be so many. That wouldn't explain the time/speed numbers though. Hope that it's real and soon to be recreatible by all. Hope there's some just plain no-spin straightforward communication coming.

 

[brianman]

Interesting. We assume that 0-60 is with the "traditional" (in the US) one-foot rollout. As long as the competing car's 0-60 times are with the same rollout, that seems reasonable. And I note that Motor Trend uses Tesla's HP and torque numbers without qualification. The author does not appear to care about what the drivetrain can actually deliver, all that matters is the shockingly fast 2.6 secs 0-60 that anyone can achieve with stock tires simply by stomping on the go pedal.
I have no idea what is meant by the "new launch control" reference in the article. There is no such setting in the vehicle controls that I am aware of.

... but quotes the number 762hp anyway with no motor qualification. At best it's lazy reporting IMO.

If you don't care about, and don't validate, the number then quoting it is -- well -- I'll stick with just "lazy" for now.

 

[DillyBop]

I always thought it would be useful to have the ability to enable a "launch mode" where you could hold your foot to the floor, the car not moving, and one of the steering wheel buttons acts as a launch button that ramps up the inverter drive as quickly as the electronics permits. The whole business of having to aggressively stomp on the pedal seems a bit antiquated.

interesting. that's a very cool idea...

 

[Mayhemm]

I have no idea what is meant by the "new launch control" reference in the article. There is no such setting in the vehicle controls that I am aware of.

Given some of the crazy misunderstandings perpetrated by the ICE-centric media since the release of Model S in 2012, I'm almost certain they are referring to the "Ludicrous Mode" toggle when they talk about "launch control". They're trying to translate the uniqueness of an electric car into ICE-friendly terms they can relate to.

Pretty outrageous hate comments under the article though. They seem to be panicking now as they lost another argument against EVs, as the Model S just got a really competitive 1/4 mile time. Almost half the comments are hate comments and the other half are positive. In real life I meet 99% positive people, something doesn't add up. Have the dealers or someone started a troll factory that pumps out anti Tesla personae to post comments?

Welcome to the internet. People know they can't be held accountable for what they say, so they just turn off the filter with the deliberate intention to antagonize.

 

[Olle]

not when the tweet references a test of a P90DL
I wish I was on twitter so I could ask why customer cars are not capable of producing MT results

Perhaps it is because customer cars are often loaded with hundreds of pounds of options. At least the MT car lacks sunroof and jump seats. But it has 21" wheels. Could it have been even faster with the lighter 19s?

 

[TitanP90D]

Perhaps it is because customer cars are often loaded with hundreds of pounds of options. At least the MT car lacks sunroof and jump seats. But it has 21" wheels. Could it have been even faster with the lighter 19s?

I think you're spot on.
When it comes to rolling weight vs static weight it's an even more noticeable difference. So 50lbs saved in wheel/tire weight will have much more impact vs taking out the back seat or something roughly the same weight.

Anyone know the 19" vs 21" wheel weight difference.

I think forum members wanting to bench race need to understand magazines and drag strips commonly use the 1ft rollout setting. So if you are comparing your vbox times. Understand the 1ft rollout can be a .3 to .4 difference.

And yes if the model Tesla provided to MT has no glass roof and other weight savings then power to weight physics always win. Rule of thumb on slower cars 12 to 14 seconds range in 1/4 was every 100lbs saved was roughly .2 which is roughly a car length.

It gets harder the lower the et. Not sure what it is for a high 10 car.
Personally i like all the extras even if it is slightly slower.

 

[Matias]

Current owners are fully aware of e.g. one feet roll out. Please see this thread

Dragtimes P90D Ludicrous 0-60mph and 0-100mph video - Page 33

 

[darthy001]

10.9second 1/4-mile from such a heavy car with "only" 532hp. Is that potentially the true testiment to the superiority of the EV-drivetrain over the ICE?

Any ICE even close to those numbers able to pull a 11.4(as actual P90D-owners do)?

 

[WarpedOne]

10.9second 1/4-mile from such a heavy car with "only" 532hp. Is that potentially the true testiment to the superiority of the EV-drivetrain over the ICE?

No.
This is the testiment that those motors are really capable of outputing those ~700HP at max even though they never have the chance of really doing it.
But they have the cance to output same tourqe at lower rpm, while total output is thus below ~530.

 

[darthy001]

No.
This is the testiment that those motors are really capable of outputing those ~700HP at max even though they never have the chance of really doing it.
But they have the cance to output same tourqe at lower rpm, while total output is thus below ~530.

Did you even read what I wrote? It wasnt a stab at Tesla or the 700hp-issue. I honestly think a potential 10.9s-run is even more impressive if the car actually never has a chance of outputting more than 532hp as opposed to having 700+hp to play with... Especially given the weight of the car.

Any ICE even come close with that combination of weight and power?

 

[lolachampcar]

Titan,
No.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Did you even read what I wrote? It wasnt a stab at Tesla or the 700hp-issue. I honestly think a potential 10.9s-run is even more impressive if the car actually never has a chance of outputting more than 532hp as opposed to having 700+hp to play with... Especially given the weight of the car.

Any ICE even come close with that combination of weight and power?

I think his point was the torque characteristic (as indicated by the 700+hp "motor power") matters more than 540hp battery limited power in this case. A Model S with "532 hp" motor power would not be able to run a 10.9 second 1/4 mile (largely due to worse low speed acceleration).

 

[TitanP90D]

Titan,
No.

No what? You don't know the weight difference? Lol thanks

 

[lolachampcar]

No.
You can not draw straight line comparisons on weight to 1/4 mile times. A 100 lb change in a 200 lb car makes a bigger difference than a 100 lb change in a 5000 lb car.

These are extremes but the point should be obvious. The roughly half second difference between customer and magazine versions of L can not be attributed to pano or wheel size. I was trying to be polite by simply saying no and you are welcome.