Tesla Model S now comes standard with new sport seats

The Tesla Model S Plaid sports an advertised 1.99-second 0-60 mph time, which can exert an awful lot of force on our fragile human bodies. To help remedy some of those extremes and make the car better to drive on track, Tesla recently introduced new sport seats and said that they’re installed on all Model S Plaids built since the beginning of April.

While you might think softer seats would be better for such extreme performance, the more heavily bolstered sport seats have more robust support and don’t give up creature comforts. Tesla still installs heating and ventilation, and the seats retain their 12-way power adjustability. They’re also covered in a performance suede material that cuts weight and helps grip during aggressive cornering.

New Model S Plaid Sport Seats

If you know what high-G cornering means, these seats are for you

- Increased lateral support
- Modular seat architecture for comfort & support, plus same 12-way power adjust, heating & ventilation
- High performance suede for increased grip &… pic.twitter.com/Up7fCVo6SL

— Tesla (@Tesla) April 12, 2024

Upgraded seats at no additional charge are a welcome development for the pricey Plaid. Its purchase price starts at almost $90,000, and that’s before adding any of Tesla’s numerous and expensive options. Despite the steep sticker price, the automaker charges $1,500 extra for any color other than black, and the same goes for the interior, where white and cream colors add $2,000 to the bottom line.

If you want Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self-Driving Capability for your Plaid, be prepared to shell out $6,000 or $12,000, respectively. Additionally, the 21-inch wheel option costs $4,500, and the outlandish yoke steering wheel bumps the price by $1,000. If that’s too crazy for your wallet, the “regular” Model S starts at around $75,000 and still offers a 3.1-second 0-60 time, more than quick enough to get into trouble.

To be fair, you’re really paying for performance with the range-topping Model S, and it doesn’t disappoint. Beyond that neck-snapping acceleration, the car delivers a 9.23-second quarter-mile time at 155 mph, and its three electric motors produce a staggering 1,020 horsepower. It also gets a solid 320-mile range estimate, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system, high-temp brake pads, and a carbon fiber lip spoiler.