WASHINGTON — This would be a fun way to get around on these snowy, slushy roads: a car that’s all wheel drive, with all the power you could ever want.
Tesla is touting its P85D – an all-wheel-drive, high-performance version of its Model S sedan.
With an electric motor in the front to assist the one in the rear, it had no problem pushing its way through an unplowed parking lot near Tesla’s new location in Vienna, which is set to open next week.
It also only took a few swipes on the car’s huge dash-mounted touchscreen to raise the suspension for added ground clearance in the snow.
But the real attention-grabber is found elsewhere in the car’s electronic settings.
The P85D has two acceleration modes: Sport and Insane.
“The closest that most people will come to feeling what Insane Mode feels like is how they feel on a roller coaster, or maybe how they might feel with a supersonic jet taking off,” a Tesla spokesperson explains.
When in Insane Mode, Tesla claims the sedan will reach 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds, making it the quickest production sedan on the market.
It doesn’t come cheap though, with a fully-loaded P85D coming in at around $130,000. A base Model S starts at around $70,000. Buyers should expect a three month wait after placing an order for a Model S.
Tesla says a federal tax credit is available, as well as tax breaks for Maryland and D.C. residents.
