Yahoo News Jay Leno sets quarter-mile production car world speed record in Tesla Model S Plaid
On Wednesday, Jay Leno’s Garage attempted to make history by beating the Bugatti Chiron Sport’s production car quarter-mile world speed record time of 9.4 seconds with the Tesla Model S Plaid and its more than 1,000 horsepower drive system. Tesla chief designer Franz Von Holzhausen explained what makes this Tesla so extra special.
“This is tri-motor - two in the back, one in the front,” Von Holzhausen explained. “So all three motors are carbon-sleeve motors. It's new, never been done before, invented by Tesla. And that just allows you to have constant power until you run out of room or you run out of speed. The CdA (coefficient of aerodynamic drag), the frontal area of the car increases, but we managed to get the coefficient to drag lower - so it's 0.207.”
While the Chiron Sport is fitted with an eight liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine producing 1,479 horsepower, the Tesla Plaid’s secret weapon was Jay Leno behind the wheel. The comedian managed a shocking time of 9.247 seconds.
Video transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
KYLIE MAR: On Wednesday, Jay Leno's Garage attempted to make history by beating the Bugatti Chiron Sport's production car quarter-mile world speed record time of 9.4 seconds, with the Tesla Model S Plaid and its more than 1,000 horsepower drive system. Tesla chief designer Franz Von Holzhausen explained what makes this Tesla so extra special.
JAY LENO: This is tri-motor, two in the back--
FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN: Two in the back--
JAY LENO: --one in the front.
FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN: One in the front.
JAY LENO: OK.
FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN: Yeah, so all three motors are carbon-sleeve motors. It's new, never been done before, invented by Tesla. And that just allows you to have constant power until you run out of room or you run out of speed.
KYLIE MAR: While this Chiron Sport is fitted with an eight liter quad turbocharged W16 engine producing 1,479 horsepower, the Tesla Plaid's secret weapon was Jay Leno behind the wheel.
JAY LENO: How did we do?
FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN: Awesome. Look at that.
JAY LENO: What was it?
FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN: 9.247. That's a world record now. How awesome?
- I didn't do anything .
- World record, there you go. How about that?
JAY LENO: Until somebody breaks it. I'm sure there are easier jobs, but I can't think of any.
KYLIE MAR: And while Jay basked in the glory of his world record, as a famous stand up comedian, he could only appreciate the comedic irony, when Tesla's own professional driver took a seat behind the wheel and set a new, new world record.
- That's our record. Amazing. 9.234.
JAY LENO: You come to think of it, I did have a meatball sandwich for lunch, and this professional driver can't be more than 120 pounds soaking wet. I mean, one hundredth of a second? Come on, I was robbed.
