Elon Musk took the lid off his personal madness with the Tesla Model S P85D, the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive silent screamer with 691 horsepower and 686 lb-ft of torque. As if that weren’t enough, the totally electric D provides an “Insane Mode,” which unleashes the car’s full accelerative prospective and enables a launch-handle function for maximum thrust.
Musk said he benchmarked the McLaren F1 as the D’s acceleration target. With a zero-to-60-mph run that we estimate at 3.2 seconds—from a full-size luxury sedan that weighs nearly 2.5 tons, mind you—we’d say he nailed it, particularly taking into consideration that is the precise time we accomplished with an F1 we tested in 1994. What does all that massive, dyno-befuddling, Hellcat-humiliating torque do to unsuspecting passengers? The people at DragTimes just had to uncover out, and, clearly, nobody’s ready for the D.
Warning: There’s a lot of shocked cursing in this video, and it’s not protected for unsuspecting ears or playing loud at your office. You have been warned.
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A version of this story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com via Digg.
Motorists could soon bid bye-bye to blow outs and ta-ta to tyre adjustments as producers develop the airless tyre.
Pneumatic drill
It sounds improbable but a replacement for the pneumatic tyre has been several years in development. In reality, some off road automobiles already use airless tyres.
The military have also tested the new-age wheels. So it most likely will not be long before the likes of you and me will match airless tyres to our own automobiles in a move that could revolutionise the motor industry.
Manufacturing giants Michelin and Bridgestone have both developed airless tryes. So has Polaris, an American firm that specialises in all-terrain cars.
Yet another fine mesh
The Polaris airless tyre is created up of a hexagonal honeycomb mesh surrounded by a rubber tread and looks like some thing out of Terminator.
It is not only puncture-proof, but Polaris claims it is also quieter and gives a smoother ride, especially over rough terrain, thanks to its greater shock absorption.
It is named the TerrainArmor. And if it occurs to be hit by a .50 caliber bullet travelling at the speed of sound, it will hold rolling for 350 miles.
I can believe of a couple of neighbourhoods exactly where that may possibly come in useful…
Bridge of sighs
Bridgestone’s initial generation airless tyre came out in 2011, but its capability was limited, with a maximum load bearing weight of just 220 lbs and a prime speed of 3.7 mph.
The firm unveiled its second generation tyre at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2013 – and it’s a lot more viable.
Spokes of thermoplastic resin help the rubber tread and can bear weights up to 904 lbs and travel at speeds of 37 mph.
It is environmentally friendly, also, as the materials utilized in the manufacture of the air-free tyre are totally recyclable.
Wheel of fortune?
Michelin’s version of the airless tyre created its debut in the nineties.
The firm won plaudits for the design and style, but not for the name – Tweel, a rather cheesy mixture of tyre and wheel.
The Tweel went on sale in 2012, but as yet is only available for industrial autos.
Hit the road, jack
There’s lots to like about airless tyres. For a start off, they get rid of the need to have to get out the jack at the side of the road to change the wheel soon after a puncture.
They also guarantee a smoother ride, environmental benefits and a lengthy lifespan.
Inflationary pressures
But they are not but ready to hit the road, so to speak.
There’s the price tag tag for one point. Airless tyres price about £700 a piece, which is most likely beyond the monetary reach of the typical motorist.
Sting in the tale
The police might also have a issue with air-totally free tyres.
You know these spike strips or stingers they lay across the road to stop criminals in their tracks? Effectively they wouldn’t have a hope of stopping a car equipped with airless tyres.
So while they may have all manner of benefits, they might not truly be street legal. So don’t hold your breath.
Motorists could soon bid bye-bye to blow outs and ta-ta to tyre adjustments as companies create the airless tyre.
Pneumatic drill
It sounds improbable but a replacement for the pneumatic tyre has been numerous years in development. In reality, some off road vehicles already use airless tyres.
The military have also tested the new-age wheels. So it almost certainly won’t be long before the likes of you and me will match airless tyres to our personal automobiles in a move that could revolutionise the motor market.
Manufacturing giants Michelin and Bridgestone have both created airless tryes. So has Polaris, an American firm that specialises in all-terrain vehicles.
Yet another fine mesh
The Polaris airless tyre is made up of a hexagonal honeycomb mesh surrounded by a rubber tread and appears like something out of Terminator.
It is not only puncture-proof, but Polaris claims it is also quieter and provides a smoother ride, specifically more than rough terrain, thanks to its greater shock absorption.
It is referred to as the TerrainArmor. And if it occurs to be hit by a .50 caliber bullet travelling at the speed of sound, it will preserve rolling for 350 miles.
I can feel of a couple of neighbourhoods exactly where that may possibly come in useful…
Bridge of sighs
Bridgestone’s 1st generation airless tyre came out in 2011, but its capability was restricted, with a maximum load bearing weight of just 220 lbs and a leading speed of 3.7 mph.
The firm unveiled its second generation tyre at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2013 – and it is a lot far more viable.
Spokes of thermoplastic resin support the rubber tread and can bear weights up to 904 lbs and travel at speeds of 37 mph.
It is environmentally friendly, also, as the materials used in the manufacture of the air-free of charge tyre are completely recyclable.
Wheel of fortune?
Michelin’s version of the airless tyre produced its debut in the nineties.
The firm won plaudits for the style, but not for the name – Tweel, a rather cheesy combination of tyre and wheel.
The Tweel went on sale in 2012, but as but is only available for industrial cars.
Hit the road, jack
There’s lots to like about airless tyres. For a begin, they eliminate the need to have to get out the jack at the side of the road to adjust the wheel following a puncture.
They also guarantee a smoother ride, environmental benefits and a lengthy lifespan.
Inflationary pressures
But they are not yet ready to hit the road, so to speak.
There’s the price tag tag for one factor. Airless tyres cost about £700 a piece, which is possibly beyond the financial reach of the typical motorist.
Sting in the tale
The police may also have a issue with air-totally free tyres.
You know those spike strips or stingers they lay across the road to cease criminals in their tracks? Nicely they wouldn’t have a hope of stopping a automobile equipped with airless tyres.
So although they may have all manner of advantages, they may not actually be street legal. So do not hold your breath.
Verify out this video under of a Smart Vehicle with a Toyota Paseo Sprintex supercharged engine blowing away a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. If it weren’t for the Smart Automobile destroying blower belt right after popping the wheelie and prematurely hitting the brakes ahead of the finish line, he would be able to say he beat a 12 second vehicle. Certainly the Mustang could use a driver mod, as that automobile is much more quickly than the 13.6 it posted. Nonetheless, this Sensible Vehicle owner might need to have a wheelie bar at the rear if he plans to drag racing in the future.
Video: Wise Vehicle Blows Away Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby
