Elon Musk unveils the Tesla D, an all-wheel drive version of the Model S
"About time to unveil the D and something else", was all that @ElonMusk had to say to get his 1.1 million-strong following speculating on the latest offering from Tesla and what the cryptic 'D' stood for. The guesses ranged from a new all-wheel drive SUV rolling out from the electric vehicle makers to hopes of a pick-up truck in the pipeline.
Well, it's an all-wheel drive alright not an SUV though. The D, as Elon Musk explained in the unveiling staged by Tesla Motors, stands for dual motor and it's what the all-wheel drive version of the Tesla Model S is called. This variant of the sedan gets an all-new system where there is a motor in the front as well as the rear. All three states of tune that the Model S is available, namely the 60, the 85 and the top of the line P85, will be made available with this new system, and the nomenclature for the version will have a D at the end.
Tesla claims the supercar can do a 0-100kmph sprint in 3.2 seconds and that its target while developing this drive train was to match the acceleration figures of the Mclaren F1. In his address to the cheering crowds gathered for the unveiling, Musk even quipped that, on the power front, "this car is nuts. . . it's like taking off from a carrier deck" and that Tesla might as well provide the car with three settings - "Normal, Sport and Insane."
When the P85D hits showrooms in the US in December 2014, its base variant will retail at $120,170 (that's Rs 73.59 lakh). The 60D and the 85D will be launched in February next year.
Tesla is set to come to India in 2015 and the Tesla Motors' officials believe that their SUV, the Model X would be a perfect fit for the Indian market. Now that you've read this - any special requests for Mr Musk?
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