--- title: "Elon Musk Announces “Spaceballs”-Themed Super-Fast Tesla Mode" description: "Musk confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday that the Model S \"Plaid powertrain is about a year away from production\" and applies to almost all Tesla vehicles." date: "2019-09-12" modified: "2019-09-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-model-s-next-gen-plaid" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "porsche" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Announces “Spaceballs”-Themed Super-Fast Tesla Mode ![Musk confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday that the Model S "Plaid powertrain is about a year away from production" and applies to almost all Tesla vehicles.]() *\Image: Tesla/Victor Tangermann\* ## Gone Plaid What's faster than Ludicrous Mode on a Tesla? "Going Plaid," according to CEO Elon Musk — a [reference]() to the 1987 sci-fi comedy "Spaceballs." https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1171962132721614848 Musk confirmed in a [tweet on Wednesday]() that the "Plaid powertrain is about a year away from production," and that it'll appear in the Roadster but not the Model 3 or Y. Pricing has yet to be announced, though Musk did say it "will cost more than our current offerings, but less than competitors." ## Triple Motor Back in June, a *CNBC* report [hinted]() that the next-generation Model S and X could sport a three-motor design — two large motors in the back and one smaller motor in the front, boosting performance. A possible glimpse: Eagle-eyed car enthusiasts [spotted]() a slightly modified Model S at the Nürburgring in Germany earlier this week, sporting unfamiliar body work, including a reworked spoiler and wider fender flares, as [*Teslarati* reports](). ## 2 Plaid 2 Furious Tesla will be attempting to race the souped-up vehicle around the notoriously difficult track — likely a clapback at Porsche's brand new all-electric sedan, the Taycan, which took the crown at the track back in August. It's still unclear if the Model S variant at Nürburgring is a next-generation vehicle set to go into production or simply a track-ready one-off. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk teases Tesla Model S updates: ‘Plaid Powertrain,’ triple motors, 7-seat option, and higher price]() \[*Teslarati*\] **More on Tesla:** *[Elon Musk: Tesla Model S set a new track record in California]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()