Electric cars have come a long way and if you want proof, look no further than the Tesla Model S. With its practical range, exceptional performance and intuitive application of in-car technology, the Model S has shoehorned the humble family sedan into the 21st century. The high performance Model S P85D takes the already-impressive P85 and adds another motor, turning it into an all-wheel drive, all-electric, supercar baiting rocketship. We spent a week behind the wheel to see how the premier e-motoring experience translates into the daily drive.
Looking around the outside of the Model S P85D, there aren’t many hints to give away the fact that it will hit 100 km/h faster than a McLaren F1. Our P85D looked fantastic in its deep red with charcoal 21-inch wheels, but if you didn't know what you were looking for, the Model S just blends into the crowd of big sports sedans. We’re sure that some owners will like the fact that their cars don’t stand out, but some might be a little disappointed that this slice of the future doesn't look all that, well, futuristic.Hiding under the P85D's body are two electric motors, producing a combined 568 kW. If you're keen to see where all this power comes from, you're out of luck. Lifting the bonnet reveals a small storage "frunk" (yep, that's a front-trunk) where the engine is in most cars, and taking a wander to the back of the car reveals a capacious boot.
On the other hand, starting the Model S comes with a definite dose of the futuristic. Walk up to the car with the key in your pocket and the chrome handles whirr out from the doors to greet you. Once you get in, there is no need to turn a key or even press a start button – you simply put your foot on the brake, put the car into drive and pull away.
It sounds like a small thing, but the small things are what sets this car apart from the crowd. Being able to get into the Tesla and simply pull seamlessly away from the curb fits perfectly with its slick, luxury character.
The Tesla’s interior is beautifully designed and crafted, from the sculptural door grabs to the high-quality, chubby leather steering wheel that feels superb in your hands. We only noticed two things that don’t quite fit meet our high-end luxury expectations. The first is the plastic buttons on the steering wheel, which would seem out of place on a Golf, let alone a car worth more than $100K. The other issue is that the soft, stitched leather seat won’t go low enough. Granted I'm taller than your average road-tester, but I felt a little like I was sitting on, rather than in, the car.
Seat adjustment and steering wheel buttons aside, the Model S’ interior is beautifully put together. The 17-inch touchscreen in the center console is a masterpiece, replacing the traditional array of buttons and dials with a simple interface for infotainment, navigation and car settings that will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used a tablet.
The interface is slick and responsive. You’re able to split the screen between two different functions, like navigation and media, or just take advantage of that massive screen real estate for full-screen google maps. The maps include live traffic updates, as well as little icons for charging stations and Superchargers.
The controls for the air-conditioning are permanently locked at the bottom of the screen for easy access and there's also a massive range of options for changing the way your car drives. There are three different modes for the steering, ranging from feather-light Comfort mode to the heavier Sport setup. Unless you're trying to carve corners there's no reason to take the car out of normal mode, which is more than adequate for most situations.
You can also access many of the functions using a scroll wheel on the steering wheel.
Depending on the way you've specced your car, the Model S is also available with fully adjustable air suspension, that ranges from stance-nation low to an extra high setting designed for steep driveways. As well as being able to manually put the car into its highest setting for particularly tough driveways or speedbumps, the car's GPS system will remember where you've used this mode and automatically kick-in on your return to ensure you always go scrape-free.
So far, you're probably getting the idea that you can customize almost everything about your Tesla. And you'd be right, because that little touchscreen holds the key to a world of personalization. Want your sunroof 72 percent open? Done. Not happy with the mood lighting on your doors? Turn it off. Too much power too fast? Dial it back and cruise.
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