Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors has a dual-motor electric luxury vehicle known as the Model S P85D, which the base model of starts at $69,900 (MSRP), and its already-quick acceleration just received an improvement via a software update that unlocks more of the vehicle’s potential through an update to the “Insane Mode.”
The “Insane Mode” is activated by a button on the digital dashboard, which allows the mode to be toggled between on and off. The feature can only be activated while the car is at a complete stop.
Once the insane button has been pressed and the insanity engaged, the vehicle goes from what Business Insider reported was a “ pretty fast ” 0 to 60 MPH in 5.9 seconds to an impressive 3.2 seconds.
Now, with the P85D’s over-the-air software update issued by Tesla engineers, the car’s insane button unleashes even more of the beast, as it shaves ~0.1 seconds from the 0 to 60 MPH acceleration time. Elon Musk, the company’s founder and CEO, tweeted about the software update to the inverter algorithm.
Tesla P85D 0 to 60mph acceleration will improve by ~0.1 sec soon via over-the-air software update to inverter algorithm
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2015
Musk also indicated that the P85 and the standard Model S would improve in acceleration, just not as much as the P85D.
The SpaceX founder also tweeted a YouTube video of the Model S P85D driving up a 14 percent grade while passing what he called “ a whole bunch of stuck SUVs ” in the snow.
The Daily Mail reported that the $120,000 Tesla Model S P85D was first unveiled in October of 2014, and that’s best known for its “stomach churning acceleration and zero-RMP torque” but just as impressive is it’s little-known feature which allows it to receive over-the-air software updates anytime the engineers at Tesla discover an improvement, such as the recent update to the inverter algorithm.
Possibly more entertaining to some, Inquisitr previously reported on the reactions of some passengers to the car’s “Insane Mode” in a video compilation uploaded to the “DragTimes” YouTube channel.
The Insane Mode, once engaged, makes the car 0.7 seconds faster than the McLaren F1 supercar. With the latest update, it’s now 0.8 seconds faster in the 0 to 60. In related news, Inquisitr reported that Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson’s McLaren F1 is for sale and the twice-crashed, celebrity owned supercar is expected to sell for millions.
The Model S is built and tested in Fremont, California. The ones that are intended for the European marketplace are disassembled and shipped to Tilburg, Netherlands, where they’re reassembled.
Do you wish your car had an insane button?
