200 mph Tesla Model S 'Plaid' may arrive sooner than expected, Elon Musk teases

Tesla's fastest-ever model may arrive sooner than expected.

Tesla began taking reservations for the Model S 'Plaid' last September, with first deliveries of the $139,990 sedan scheduled for late 2021. The Plaid name is borrowed from the sci-fi comedy movie "Spaceballs" where it is used to describe faster-than-light speed.

The car features three electric motors with an advertised combined output of 1,100 horsepower, the ability to accelerate to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds, a top speed of 200 mph and a range of 520 miles between charges, which would all be best in class figures.

It will also use Tesla's recently unveiled new battery design that features larger, more powerful cells that are structural members of the pack.

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In December, Tesla paused production of the Model S and Model X SUV at its Fremont, Calif., factory, opening the possibility that the assembly lines would be updated to produce redesigned vehicles.

Tesla did not confirm that was the plan, but Musk on Jan. 1 responded to a Twitter follower who asked "yo @elonmusk how hard did you sandbag the Plaid Model S timeline?" with a wink emoji.

On the same day, YouTube channel The Kilowatts posted video of a Model S being tested on public roads near the factory that featured redesigned front and rear fascias along with wider fenders of the kind featured on a high-performance model like the Plaid aims to be.

The Model S first went on sale in 2012, but has started facing its first serious competition in the luxury electric sports sedan class recently with the introduction of the Porsche Taycan and upcoming Lucid Air, which promises 1080 hp, 517 miles of range and a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds.

Although he could tweet about it at any time, Musk often releases new information on upcoming models during the company's earnings calls and the next one should take place sometime in January.