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Tesla 'Easter Egg' Makes the World's Fastest Car Even Faster (bloomberg.com) 247

The world's fastest-accelerating car is about to get even faster. Tesla's high-end Model S will soon be able to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 2.4 seconds, following a software enhancement next month that shaves off a 10th of a second. That's a new threshold that distinguishes it from any other production car on the road. From a report on Bloomberg: Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk teased the update in a tweet on Wednesday -- but there's a twist. When the changes are delivered wirelessly next month to all P100D Model S vehicles, the owners will have to figure out how to enable it. It's what's known in the tech industry as an "Easter Egg" -- a hidden feature that requires a specific series of gestures to unlock. These speeds are crazy fast. For perspective, the Model S already outpaces sold-out supercars with tiny production runs, such as Ferrari's $1.4 million LaFerrari, Porsche's $845,000 918 Spyder, and Bugatti's $2.3 million Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. Tesla's seven-seat Model X SUV will also shed a 10th of a second, putting it on a par with a $1.15 million McLaren P1.
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Tesla 'Easter Egg' Makes the World's Fastest Car Even Faster

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  • by cayenne8 ( 626475 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @09:44AM (#53305125) Homepage Journal
    Ok..I LOVE the performance of the Tesla, now, PLEASE make a version that looks once again like a sports car, and not like a family sedan.

    If they could make one with this performance, and in the ballpark range of a Vette, man..I'd be in the market for that immediatly.

    • Maybe they need both. I would much rather have one that looks like a family sedan than a sports car. The flashier a car looks the more likely the cops are to pull you over, the more likely someone will steal it, the more likely you are to be recognized on the road.

      I know I'm not the only one who would prefer a "supercar" performance in a "Toyota Camry chassis" sedan.

      • by PvtVoid ( 1252388 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @10:01AM (#53305265)

        The flashier a car looks ... the more likely someone will steal it

        ...

        I know I'm not the only one who would prefer a "supercar" performance in a "Toyota Camry chassis" sedan.

        In actual fact, the most frequently stolen vehicle is the Honda Accord [esurance.com]. The Camry is #5.

        • What about per vehicle made? There are a lot more Camrys made than Mclarens.

          • What about per vehicle made? There are a lot more Camrys made than Mclarens.

            Its a lot easier and I'm guessing more lucrative to take a common car like a Camry to a chop shop and break it into parts for resale than a McLaren.

            • Its a lot easier and I'm guessing more lucrative to take a common car like a Camry to a chop shop and break it into parts for resale than a McLaren.

              Precisely. How the hell are you going to fence a Bugatti Veyron?

        • In actual fact, the most frequently stolen vehicle is the Honda Accord [esurance.com]. The Camry is #5.

          3600,000 honda accords are sold each year. Even if you went out and stole every Model S in the world (all 125,000 sold so far) you still wouldn't budge it from the most stolen list

      • The flashier a car looks the more likely the cops are to pull you over, the more likely someone will steal it, the more likely you are to be recognized on the road.

        1. That's what Radar Detectors and CB radios are for (yes, they are still a valuable tool ).

        2. If they steal it..well, that's what insurance is for.

        3. I'm not really trying to be anonymous while out on the road. Not trying to be seen, but not necessarily having a problem with friends noticing I'm out and about.

    • by Rei ( 128717 )

      They've stated that they do plan to produce a new generation of Roadsters in the future. But obviously things like the Model 3 take top priority; I'd imagine even the rumored Tesla pickup truck will come first.

      But do expect that down the line. With another 5-10 years of advancements, the performance should be unreal.

      • by haruchai ( 17472 )

        "With another 5-10 years of advancements, the performance should be unreal"
        I'd like to see something other than mere (although impressive) performance in the next 5-10 years.
        The acceleration of the base S70 is pretty darn good & the 3.2s 0-60 of the performance X90D can cause some to faint.

    • by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @09:59AM (#53305251)

      Ok..I LOVE the performance of the Tesla, now, PLEASE make a version that looks once again like a sports car, and not like a family sedan.

      If they could make one with this performance, and in the ballpark range of a Vette, man..I'd be in the market for that immediatly.

      Sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree.

      There's nothing like driving around something that can snack on a Vette and eat an Ferrari for lunch, that looks like the family wagon. Talk about a sleeper...

      • My friend, I imagined the scene and found it VERY funny. Thanks for the laughs!
      • Talk about a sleeper...

        You just reminded me of some of the sleepers I've read about and seen on youtube (which I can't find easily right now.... sigh...). Things like the Smart Diablo (a smart car with a hyabusa engine capable of smoking a ferrari). Or the 80's jetta that was upgraded with a high-powered audi turbo engine and AWD. Or even the Chevy car (think it was a caprice) that someone had modded with massive hot-rod tires and upgraded the engine to take something more like avgas.

        Personally, I would like to see something l

        • Personally, I would like to see something like the old VW beetle with a subaru boxer engine from an STI.

          When the old VW bug was in production and common, there was this one upcountry law enforcement officer who made a little mod to his bug.

          He took out the back seat and installed a Ford Interceptor engine. (That was the souped-up model that Ford would only sell to police for their traffic enforcement vehicles (or people who knew the order code and could slip it into their new-vehicle purchase paperwork).)

          Wi

          • So he was a speeder who liked to prey on people who thought they had found a place where they fool around without bothering anyone. Interesting person

      • It gives me perverse pleasure that there is a Cadillac CTS-V Wagon.

        Now only if it wasn't a Cadillac.

    • by uncqual ( 836337 )

      It would also need a powerful speaker so it sounds like a sports car. Perhaps you could pick from what vehicle you want your car to sound like. Maybe on Monday you feel like a LaFerrari while on Thursday 918 Spyder seems right. Might as well toss in Atlas 5 or a Falcon 9 (with explosion option) in the mix as well.

      • It's a neat point. Though, I'd argue the opposite. 0-60 in 2.4 seconds without making a sound? The lack of sound makes it look like you're doing it effortlessly.

    • Ok..I LOVE the performance of the Tesla, now, PLEASE make a version that looks once again like a sports car, and not like a family sedan.

      I seriously WISH family sedans looked as nice as the Model S does. I think the styling on the Model S will still look good in 20 years which is something I cannot say for a lot of cars.

      If they could make one with this performance, and in the ballpark range of a Vette, man..I'd be in the market for that immediatly.

      It will happen. Only question is when.

    • SpaceBall One/Megamaid didn't have the look of a sports car, but it had Ludicrous Speed too.

    • by tehcyder ( 746570 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @10:54AM (#53305703) Journal
      As an alternative to spending a lot of money on a sports car, you could just buy a t-shirt with the slogan "I've got a tiny penis" as it would convey exactly the same message at a fraction of the cost.
    • And all these years M$ have been issuing patches that make things slower
    • by rlk ( 1089 )

      To what end? It gives you sports car performance (and then some) while still being able to carry people and schtuff like a family sedan.

      Pull up at a light next to a Lambo...

  • My guess is IDDQD http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Doo... [wikia.com]
  • owners will have to figure out how to enable it

    No way could this end badly.

    • by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @10:02AM (#53305277)

      owners will have to figure out how to enable it

      No way could this end badly.

      The car is already insanely fast.

      I highly doubt gaining fractions of seconds on top of that via "Easter Egg" gestures that are tied to a single function that gets enabled is going to spell the end of the world. If you can't control your Tesla before this, then you probably shouldn't own one.

    • Let's hear your disaster scenario.

      I mean people have been hacking on Teslas since they first hit the market. 2 seconds of google will find you a completely revese engineered protocol for the drive train and battery systems. Design your own open Tesla if you want.

  • Quick, not fast (Score:2, Insightful)

    by hsmith ( 818216 )
    These stupid articles always bring up hyper car speeds. The tesla is stupid quick to 60mph, but once you get to 60mph it fades quite fast. Over 60 and it will be clowned by anything. Additionally comparing it to cars that can run endless laps on a track is pointless. But continue on with the Musk dick sucking
    • by GTRacer ( 234395 )
      Yeah, the Teslas do fade out sooner than other supercars, but the 100D is a legitimate 10.8 - 11.0 second car. That STILL beats out a lot of cars dead stock. And while comparisons to lappable cars is pointless, there are still a lot of people who live and die a quarter mile at a time. Like the kids who used to drag all night on the new loop road they built near us.
      • by haruchai ( 17472 )

        These days lots of people - myself included - bring up track capability but the truth is that muscle cars' reputation were built on straight-line speed.
          No one in my high school ever asked or cared how long a 'Vette or Mustang would need to lap the 'Ring.

    • These stupid articles always bring up hyper car speeds. The tesla is stupid quick to 60mph, but once you get to 60mph it fades quite fast. Over 60 and it will be clowned by anything. Additionally comparing it to cars that can run endless laps on a track is pointless....

      99.999% of the time, owners of supercars are operating in environments where they can't even safely drive them over 100MPH. Marketing has created race cars that are street legal when in all reality they should live and stay on a race track.

      Tesla's target performance (0-60MPH) is at least street legal for most owners to execute, so yes, it's relevant.

      • You say this because that's your experience. I'm at the track pretty often. Track days around here see a fair number of very high performance cars. Quite a few people who spring for GT3's and 911 turbos (as well as some more exotic brands) take them to the track and drive them like they were built to be driven. Don't assume everybody else's driving habits match your own.

        • You say this because that's your experience. I'm at the track pretty often. Track days around here see a fair number of very high performance cars. Quite a few people who spring for GT3's and 911 turbos (as well as some more exotic brands) take them to the track and drive them like they were built to be driven. Don't assume everybody else's driving habits match your own.

          Those that can afford a 911 turbo, GT3, or other supercar represent a fraction of a percent of automobile drivers. I've got HP and torque numbers above 400 beneath my foot, and there's not a track nearby to enjoy that with, so other factors do come into play as well.

          And when you make a product that can beat supercars in the most recognized category of performance (0-60MPH), what else should they be comparing them to? There's literally no other comparison. If their 0-60 times matched that of a V6 Accord,

    • The tesla is stupid quick to 60mph, but once you get to 60mph it fades quite fast. Over 60 and it will be clowned by anything.

      Not actually true but even if it were, so what? It covers a quarter mile as fast as anything you can buy from a showroom today (usually for less money than the cars that are close to as fast) and it's not as if you can drive any car over 100mph routinely no matter who made it. Certainly not on public roads. Why would I give a shit what it does at 140mph since I'm never ever going to drive any car that fast?

      Additionally comparing it to cars that can run endless laps on a track is pointless.

      Why is it pointless? That's like saying it's pointless because it isn't designed to haul lumber li

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It's hardly pointless, it's a great advertising gimmick for electric cars. Ferrari and Bugati look like twats when they can't even beat a family sedan costing 1/10th as much.

  • AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Hoooollleeeeeee Crrrraaaaaaapppp!!!!!!!!

  • Soccer mom in Tesla Mini-Van beats Ferrari in quarter mile. News at 11.

  • Not the quickest (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Juju ( 1688 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @10:15AM (#53305393)
    The Tesla is not faster than the 918 from 0-60mph. The 918 spyder does it in 2.3s so faster now, and faster after the upgrade. Makes sense since the porsche is a 4 wheel drive unlike the McLaren P1 or Ferrari La Ferrari. Any 4WD car with lots of power and torque will be faster than any 2WD propulsion hypercar. And Tesla is not even the fastest electric car. That would be the Rimac. But hey, Elon Musk can claim all he wants, that's marketing (ie. damn lies.)
    • Funny thinking, just wait until the (really) crazy ones come up with mods for the Tesla. :-)
    • Re:Not the quickest (Score:5, Informative)

      by swillden ( 191260 ) <shawn-ds@willden.org> on Thursday November 17, 2016 @11:34AM (#53306117) Journal

      But hey, Elon Musk can claim all he wants, that's marketing (ie. damn lies.)

      As long as he says it's the fasted car in production, he's telling the truth. The 918 is out of production (only 918 made, in 2014), as is the Rimac Concept On(only 8 made, also in 2013-2014). Also, everything I can find on the Rimac lists 0-60 times of 2.6-2.8 seconds, making it slower.

      • the fasted car

        Weird typo there. "fastest", obviously.

    • The Tesla is not faster than the 918 from 0-60mph.

      No one ever said it was. What it is is the fastest production car. I.e. If you had Donald Trump's toilet and daddy and wanted the fastest off the shelf car your millions could get you, it would be a Tesla.

      The only people who claim otherwise are those who fail english comprehension.

  • by Chrisq ( 894406 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @10:17AM (#53305407)
    Apart from the Porsche's 918 Spyder which managed managed 0-60 in 2.2 seconds in independent tests [caranddriver.com].
    • by vux984 ( 928602 )

      And the 918 spyder also made it to the end of the lap at the nurburgring with a time befitting a supercar while the Tesla's overheating protection kicked in early into the lap and limited its overall performance to that of a cube van.

      The Tesla is quick off the line, but it handles like a boat; and it's not designed to be pushed to the edge for any lenght of time.

    • by Rei ( 128717 )

      zeroto60times.com lists them at 2.3 sec. But still a touch faster than 2.4 sec. Then again, the Spyder costs nearly a million dollars...

    • by Chirs ( 87576 )

      The 918 isn't in production anymore.

      • by Chirs ( 87576 )

        Bah, never mind. Was thinking about another comment about it being the fastest production car. It's true that the 918 is faster.

  • What do I win?

  • Someone put a carrot on a stick and tape it to the hood of the car. Maybe that will work? It should sense that!
  • Easter egg? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by sinij ( 911942 ) on Thursday November 17, 2016 @10:53AM (#53305693)
    >>>"the owners will have to figure out how to enable it"

    I think these guys forgot that they are not designing a video game. How about Easter Egg car payments, with Tesla having to figure how to get the cash?
  • "the Model S already outpaces sold-out supercars with tiny production runs, such as Ferrari's $1.4 million LaFerrari, Porsche's $845,000 918 Spyder, and Bugatti's $2.3 million Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse"

    No it really doesn't. Not by a long way.

    car, 0-60 1/4 mile top speed
    P100D 2,5 11.8 155
    LaFerrari 2.4 9.8 218
    918 2.2 9.8 214
    Veyron 2.4 9.9 255

    "Tesla's seven-seat Model X SUV will also shed a 10th of a second, putting it on a par with a $1.15 million McLaren

    • I agree though not too vocally because things could change. I'm not sure how they handle currently but I think they can be made to handle pretty well. A lot of progress has been made with suspension on heavy cars and Tesla has the advantage of low center of gravity.

      • by JustNiz ( 692889 )

        yes true its nice and low, but its still there.
        I could imagine that if the battery tech changes significantly, such that Tesla can shed about 2000 lbs, it will suddenly become a very real fight.

        • 2000 lbs is a bit excessive. Sure they can shed weight, just reduce autonomy . But A Nissan GTR has 1,740 kg (3,840 lb), fill the tank and you have 3900lbs . It's full of electronic aids and it's not a purist car but it handles well.

          Tesla S weight:
          1,961 kg (4,323 lb) (60)[7]
          2,085 kg (4,597 lb) (60D)[8]
          2,090 kg (4,608 lb) (70D)[9]
          2,108 kg (4,647 lb) (85)
          2,188 kg (4,824 lb) (85D)[8]
          2,239 kg (4,936 lb) (P85D)[8]

          But the comparison I was thinking of was the Panamera. 2100k

    • by sinij ( 911942 )
      I am into racing, and current model Teslas are still lousy sport cars. Yes, it is very, very fast for short bursts. Then battery overheats and it is no longer fast.

      Second consideration is stopping power - Tesla doesn't have matching stopping power to go with its acceleration. So even if battery overheating is eventually solved, sport cars will out-stop Tesla.

      Third consideration is turning dynamics. Tesla can handle unimpressive 0.8g lateral, while these sport cars can handle up to 1.2g. Higher lateral g
  • It's only the worlds fastest car if you count the cars that aren't faster, such as the Porsche 918. This is why I have a problem with Elon Musk: he likes to manipulate facts rather than discuss his products honestly.

  • It's as much a sports car as the Hemi Cuda was. At least Chrysler didn't market it as such.....
  • > For perspective, the Model S already outpaces sold-out supercars with tiny production runs, such as Ferrari's $1.4 million LaFerrari, Porsche's $845,000 918 Spyder, and Bugatti's $2.3 million Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse.

    Once. Try the test more than once and you'll quickly find your Model S in low-power mode.

  • OK, lessee, 60 mph is 26.8 m/sec. To go from zero to 26.8 m/sec in 2.4 sec requires an acceleration of 26.8/2.4 = 11.17 m/sec^2. g = 9.81 m/sec^2, meaning that it has to accelerate at 1.14 g.

    The only force that can accelerate it is the frictional force from its tires. The maximum force of static friction (under ordinary circumstances, like ordinary tires and ordinary roadway) is f_s = \mu_s mg, producing a maximum acceleration of a = \mu_s g, so \mu_s would have to be 1.14 in order for this to be possibl

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