Who is still upgrading to Ludicrous in their P85D after hearing Drag times?

[DanKeen]

What other car can do 0-60 in around 3s and go on to 1/4 mile in 11.6 or so AND weigh nearly 5000lbs?. Answer - none.

I know this was meant to be rhetorical, but… Mercedes E63 can do it, and far more comfortably for me minus the shifting. I'm actually really glad I didn't spring for that car when I bought my E350 wagon - it made it easier to take the depreciation hit when I decided I wanted the P90D instead (HOV lane to get home to my one year old earlier).

 

[sandpiper]

I thought hard about it, but decided that I couldn't rationalize almost $10,000 CDN for such a minimal difference. I've never found that I've been at a loss for acceleration! I'll keep the money and put it toward my replacement P100DL in a little over 2 years when my current lease expires!

 

[jarym]

I have an 85D, figure that within a couple of years Tesla would have figured out enough stuff to make their performance model truly worthy of the extra cost (they'll need to for the next Roadster anyway). That means improving battery characteristics under prolonged load and improving the peak current that can be delivered to the motors - both are reasonable improvements to expect on a 2-year timeframe imo. I'll look to trade-up around then.

 

[sillydriver]

I am not too happy, because I put down my deposit on 9/26 in response to their offer, before they downgraded the specs in that same offer. Offering and then changing specs is not a good business practice. Yet I am not going to try to cancel because I am willing to bet (and I am the fool if I'm wrong) that there is a further significant performance upgrade coming through software for those with the upgraded hardware. I take their shortfall from the advertised 1/4 mile time to be evidence of that. My bet is that they are not liars, just engineers that slip their schedules.

 

[Brit4864]

I know this was meant to be rhetorical, but… Mercedes E63 can do it, and far more comfortably for me minus the shifting.

True, the E63 AMG is pretty fast. I guess I should have added "AND zero gas..AND almost silently" :wink:

 

[Dwu0212]

Count me out

 

[Super_Popular]

I just drove a P90DL.....all I can say is WOW....that car is amazing, pointlessly to fast.

 

[lolachampcar]

$500 chip on the table so I'm still in play

 

[NorCalSJ]

I put down the deposit and I'm in....

 

[Brit4864]

I just drove a P90DL.....all I can say is WOW....that car is amazing, pointlessly to fast.

It is BUT not that much different from the P85D IMO (yes I have driven the P90DL). Tesla have already said the conversion won't be the same as a P90DL sooo... is it worth $7500? 0-60 0.2s and maybe 0.4s (being generous) on the 1/4 mile improvement? I think not at this point in time.

 

[P85]

I´m out if the difference stays this small for the upcoming months. I´m hoping a battery upgrade in the coming years will give the performance I initially thought I bought when I ordered the P85D back in september 2014.

 

[DFiveK2]

I'm in. I love the fact that my car can be upgraded by the factory. I agree with the earlier post that this hardware upgrade will enable future software improvements.

I'm not a drag racer like most of the TMC P85D owners(apparently) but it sure is nice when people who have 5 Porsche/Lamborghini/Ferrari in the garage go for a launch in my Tes are shocked by the acceleration and tell me it's faster than their cars off the line.

So this upgrade is an absolute no brainer.

 

[necho]

Not sure I understand that dragtimes correctly ... but you start with a light signal? ... so there is a reaction time included there, isn't? Otherwise I could not explain my self how the P90DL listed first can have a shorter time but lower speed than the P85D on second position? A possible reason could be that there is worse reaction time of about of .5 seconds?

In short, Tesla's marketing says P90D in Ludicrous mode will do the 1/4 mile in 10.9 seconds. To-date with current software the fastest recorded time on strip is 11.384 seconds, so there's at least .4-.5 seconds behind the stated 1/4 mile time. P85D's have achieved 11.6 in the quarter mile, giving the .2 second improvement on the P85D's almost to the same level as the current P90D

 

[fiksegts]

reaction time does not factor in to the 1/4 mile time....

Not sure I understand that dragtimes correctly ... but you start with a light signal? ... so there is a reaction time included there, isn't? Otherwise I could not explain my self how the P90DL listed first can have a shorter time but lower speed than the P85D on second position? A possible reason could be that there is worse reaction time of about of .5 seconds?

 

[Super_Popular]

I drove a P90DL yesterday even if I had the money I would not.

 

[lolachampcar]

It would be a huge help if someone that is upgrading would be kind enough to record VBox data before and after on the same road with close to the same state of charge. This would be a tremendous help to those of us on the fence.

 

[jpet]

I would also like to know if changing the fuse and contactors has any effect (positive or negative) on the time it takes for the car to get power limited. I understand you need to drive the car hard/fast to test this but quite some people are looking to upgrade to get better acceleration at higher speed. If after a couple of seconds you are limited to 240 kW anyway, the benefit of the upgrade will be small.

 

[yo mama]

It would be a huge help if someone that is upgrading would be kind enough to record VBox data before and after on the same road with close to the same state of charge. This would be a tremendous help to those of us on the fence.

Yes, it's pretty clear some of you would prefer others risk their money before you have to spend yours. And that's actually fine - I'll be your test subject as long as you get out of my way on the waiting list.

 

[lorih]

I have heard there are other improvements beside initial 0-60 acceleration that might make ludicrous mode more useful for track driving, like better thermal control for 30-60 range. Without that I think spending so much money for the potential of increased acceleration above what P85D already does seems weird to me.

(full disclosure, I don't drive at all, but I have friends that take their Model S's on the track)

 

[jpet]

I have heard there are other improvements beside initial 0-60 acceleration that might make ludicrous mode more useful for track driving, like better thermal control for 30-60 range. Without that I think spending so much money for the potential of increased acceleration above what P85D already does seems weird to me.

(full disclosure, I don't drive at all, but I have friends that take their Model S's on the track)

Thanks Lorih. If any of your friends ordered the upgrade, please keep us informed when they take their upgraded P85D to the track. When I took mine to a fairly technical race track (so not high speed), everything went well when doing laps with speeds of about 80 mph. Once I started taking it up to 100 mph, the power limiter was present all the time.