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You Musk be joking: Tesla's zero to 60MPH in 2.8 SECONDS is literally 'ludicrous'

New performance packages for Model S 'leccy cars unveiled

Tesla boss Elon Musk has outlined new performance packages for his company's Model S sedan, including a "ludicrous" speed option that will turn the electric car into a darting demon.

Musk also confirmed that his motor biz will have its delayed Model X SUV out in a few months, and promised the Model 3 budget car will be out by 2017. In four years time the Roadster will also get an update.

For an extra $10,000, Model S buyers will be able to purchase the Ludicrous Mode option that will take the car from 0 to 60mph in 2.8 seconds, and slash the time to 155mph by 20 per cent. The option will cost $5,000 for owners of Tesla's P85D performance Model S.

Musk indicated that the choice of the phrase "ludicrous speed" was a nod to Mel Brooks' 1987 movie classic, Spaceballs.

The billionaire biz baron something of a science fiction geek (in a good way), naming his rocket family Falcon in a Star Wars homage and using spaceship names from Iain M. Banks for other SpaceX hardware.

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Other new options include a Model S with an upgraded 90 kilowatt-hour battery pack that gives a range of 300 miles, cruising at 65mph, for an extra $3,000.

The price of the Model S with the current 70 kilowatt-hour battery pack has been slashed by $5,000.

As for other cars, Musk said that the firm's gull-winged SUV, the Model X, will be unveiled in two months and added that the $35,000 Model 3 will be out in a little over two years.

Tesla plans to unveil an upgraded version of its first car – the Roadster – that will be capable of "maximum plaid" speed, another Spaceballs reference. ®

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