Tesla ‘Cheetah’ Mode Model S Goes 0-100 km/h Faster Than You Can Say ‘Woah’
The new ‘Cheetah’ mode in the Tesla Model S propels the electric car from 0 to 100 km/h faster than you can take a sip of water or say ‘Woah.’
As part of a recent Tesla firmware update, the EV-maker brought along a host of features, including an updated sentry mode and a brand new launch control option called ‘Cheetah’ mode.
In the Tesla Model S, there’s already a Ludicrous+ mode, which acts as launch control, but the ‘Cheetah’ mode adds another 46 HP to the electric motor. In this mode, the EV can generate up to 823 HP.
It is being called the ‘Cheetah’ mode because upon activation, it lowers the front suspension of the car by 15 cm, putting it in a stance similar to the wild predator.
Several months ago, Elon Musk announced a significant power boost for the Model S. Following the announcement, Tesla released a new software update that provided a small boost to the Model S and Model 3, but it wasn’t the firmware update Elon had promised.
Finally, it seems that the ‘Cheetah’ update is the long-promised power boost, which is now being delivered.
Here’s How The Tesla Model S Performs With The ‘Cheetah’ Update
Brooks, a drag racing enthusiast who owns the YouTube channel ‘DragTimes,’ tested the increased performance of a Tesla Model S Raven using the Cheetah launch control.
In addition to the power boost and a lowered stance, the new update has also raised the thermal limit of the battery, allowing for consistent performance.
What this means is that you can continuously run several quarter-mile drag races in the Model S without worrying about overheating the battery.
It is quite a useful feature for a car designed to decimate opponents on a drag strip.
On to the fun part, Brooks, using the ‘Cheetah’ launch mode, achieved a 0-100 km/h time or 0-60 mph time of 2.41 seconds.
Furthermore, the Model S finished a quarter-mile in 10.54 seconds. Earlier, the Model S took about 10.67 seconds to complete a quarter-mile.
Now do keep in mind that the Model S wasn’t fully prepped for the race, and it had the heavier 21-inch wheels.
The most significant change was in the 60-130 mph acceleration time of the car. Earlier, the Model S with Ludicrous+ mode managed a timing of 9.23 seconds.
However, with the Cheetah launch control, the electric car achieves the same speed half a second quicker in 8.68 seconds.
Repeatable Performance, Just Like The Porsche Taycan
Brooks also tested the ‘repeatable performance’ claim of the new Cheetah mode. With the car’s each 0-60 mph attempt, the only thing that went down was the battery charge, and the performance remained the same.
On the surface, it looks quite impressive, but more comprehensive testing will yield proper results. Even the Porsche Taycan loses power when the battery charge goes down despite its claim of repeatable performance. Therefore we should judge Tesla’s performance similarly.
Another cool feature of the Tesla ‘Cheetah mode’ is the extended launch control interval. It used to be the case that the user was able to sit in the launch control mode for about 4 seconds. Now, the launch control lasts for about 10 seconds.
Even the process of putting the car into launch control is now more straightforward than before. Brooks explains the process in the video, so I’d suggest that you should check that out.
In the end, with the new update, Tesla has brought a massive improvement to its vehicles. The Porsche Taycan overthrew the Tesla Model S as the fastest EV in its segment. However, it seems that the Model S can reclaim the top spot.
