It's often said that customizing a car doesn't increase its value, but what about when those customizations are one of their first and only of their kind? Such is the case with the owner of a modified Tesla Model S. You can be the proud new owner of that first truly tuned Tesla in the world, just as long as you're willing to shell out the cash.
The people who like to mod their cars may be some of the first to reject electric cars because of the inability to change the way they perform. It's not like you can just slap a turbo on a Nissan Leaf and add gobs of power to it. But some individuals don't want to give up their dreams so easily.
Jason Hughes is known in the Tesla community for the yellow Model S which he has performed many "firsts" with. After becoming the first legacy Model S to receive an at-home Autopilot retrofit, Hughes was also determined to become the world's very first tuned production electric car.
My Model S P85 is now the most powerful RWD Tesla in existence. Maxes at ~570HP. RWD P85 Ludicrous ???? Need wider tires???? Pic w/only ~50% SoC. pic.twitter.com/ZyuDaH3qNc
— Jason Hughes (@wk057) January 12, 2017
To do this, Hughes began his upgrade path by removing the 85 kWh battery pack in his Model S and installing a slightly larger unit from a dual motor Model S, the 90D. This added capacity, but didn't exactly make the car any quicker. Because the Model S was an early model, it was released with only a single motor, something that wasn't supported by Tesla's Ludicrous mode, which can take drivers from zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds. Only dual motor variants were permitted to run Tesla's notorious go-fast mode, but that wasn't stopping Hughes. He then designed a custom hardware and software solution to emulate the absent motor, and loaded up the Ludicrous software and took it to the dyno.
The P90++ has had its power increase around 30 percent, 553 horsepower at the rear wheels with 480 foot-pounds of torque. Additional modifications have since been made, and although the Model S hasn't made its way onto a dyno since, the peak power output is estimated to be around 575 horsepower at the rear wheels. Hughes says that with the P90++'s 3.4 second 0-60 time, the only Model S that rivals his car in acceleration is the P100D.
The software on the car has also been "rooted" and connected to Hughes' own personal network where he runs a web-based application to enable a few more features and analytics, something he is willing to leave in place for the new owner if they so choose. The caveat is, according to Hughes, Tesla will no longer service the car. He is willing to assist the new owner of the car with support within reason if they remain connected to his network, presumably for diagnostic purposes.
As more cars transition from internal combustion engines to electric power plants, the shift that auto enthusiasts will experience is certainly going to have a steep learning curve. Fortunately, it seems that the drive is staying alive, and one of its first examples can be yours. So if you have an extra $150,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you now know just where to spend it.