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Tesla 'Easter Egg' Makes the World's Fastest Car Even Faster (bloomberg.com)
The world's fastest-accelerating car is about to get even faster. Tesla's high-end Model S will soon be able to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 2.4 seconds, following a software enhancement next month that shaves off a 10th of a second. That's a new threshold that distinguishes it from any other production car on the road. From a report on Bloomberg: Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk teased the update in a tweet on Wednesday -- but there's a twist. When the changes are delivered wirelessly next month to all P100D Model S vehicles, the owners will have to figure out how to enable it. It's what's known in the tech industry as an "Easter Egg" -- a hidden feature that requires a specific series of gestures to unlock. These speeds are crazy fast. For perspective, the Model S already outpaces sold-out supercars with tiny production runs, such as Ferrari's $1.4 million LaFerrari, Porsche's $845,000 918 Spyder, and Bugatti's $2.3 million Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. Tesla's seven-seat Model X SUV will also shed a 10th of a second, putting it on a par with a $1.15 million McLaren P1.
owners will have to figure out how to enable it
No way could this end badly.
The car is already insanely fast.
I highly doubt gaining fractions of seconds on top of that via "Easter Egg" gestures that are tied to a single function that gets enabled is going to spell the end of the world. If you can't control your Tesla before this, then you probably shouldn't own one.
The only state they are illegal in is Virginia.
But hey, Elon Musk can claim all he wants, that's marketing (ie. damn lies.)
As long as he says it's the fasted car in production, he's telling the truth. The 918 is out of production (only 918 made, in 2014), as is the Rimac Concept On(only 8 made, also in 2013-2014). Also, everything I can find on the Rimac lists 0-60 times of 2.6-2.8 seconds, making it slower.
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Single speed transmission. Tesla's cars are normally limited to ~130mph, with ~150mph being the exception for a few high performance models. That's fast, but not supercar fast. Also, because Tesla's have fixed gear ratios and electric motors, peak torque happens at 0 rpm and then falls off from there, which is the exact opposite of a combustion engine's powerband.