Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Before the Bugatti Veyron arrived in 2005 with its mind-boggling 987-horsepower quad-turbo W16, those sorts of horsepower figures in a road-legal car sounded like pure science fiction. The 2010 Veyron Super Sport bumped output over the magical 1,000 hp figure to 1,183 hp, but only hyper cars with hyper prices came close.21 years after the Veyron was revealed, there are now several 1,000-hp+ cars on sale, and they aren't just futuristic-looking hypercars, but sports cars, trucks and even family sedans have got in on the act, too. All offer pulverizing performance, but only one can claim to have democratized the 1,000-hp road car, and that is the Tesla Model Plaid S.The Tesla Model S PlaidTeslaView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementLike many cars that changed the motoring landscape, the Model S Plaid has a complicated, and somewhat controversial backstory. But one thing that is undeniable is the impact that the Model S has had on the future of the motorcar since it was released in 2012. From over-the-air updates (OTA) to Superchargers, these luxury sedans showed the world that electric vehicles weren't just a decent alternative to gas-powered cars, they were the future.The introduction of the dual-motor P85D in 2014 was the first in a range of serious performance variants. They evolved even faster than they accelerated, soon eclipsing acknowledged class-leaders like the BMW M5 and Mercedes- AMG E63, and headed straight into supercar territory. The 2016 P90D and later P100D were already capable of dispatching Corvettes and Porsches with sub 3.0-second 0-60mph times, but even these models hadn't prepared the competition for the introduction of the Model S Plaid in 2021. Utilizing a tri-motor setup featuring carbon-sleeved rotors and torque vectoring, the Plaid wasn't just a sports sedan, it was a record-breaking hypercar that just happened to have a practical four-door body shell. An, yes, that yoke steering wheel became an option later on instead of standard fitment.2021 Tesla Model S PlaidEngineThree electric motorsPower1,020 hpTorque1,050 lb-ft0–60 mph1.99 secondsQuarter Mile9.23 secondsRange309 - 368 milesWhat Are They Worth Today?TeslaView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen the Tesla Model S Plaid launched in 2021, buyers paid up to $140,000 for them. Prices actually dropped in subsequent years, dropping below the $100,000 mark by 2025. Production of all Model S variants ended in early 2026, and while customer orders are closed, there are several great used models still available.Thanks to the magic of depreciation, a typical five-year-old Model S Plaid with low miles is now around $52,500, and some higher mileage examples have sold for as low as $40,000. That must be one of the highest price-to-power ratios out there. Below are the average prices of Model S Plaids based on actual sales from AutoTempest over the past year:Model YearAverage Used Price2021$50,000 – $55,0002022$58,000 – $63,0002023$68,000 – $71,0002024$76,000 – $80,000What Other 1,000hp+ Options are Out There?BugattiView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleMake & ModelBase MSRPHorsepowerClaimed 0–60 mph TimeBugatti Tourbillon$4,600,000 est1,775 hp est1.9–2.0 secondsLamborghini Revuelto$604,0001,001 hp2.3–2.5 secondsLucid Air Sapphire$249,0001,234 hp1.89 secondsPorsche Taycan Turbo GT$230,0001,019 hp1.9–2.1 secondsChevrolet Corvette ZR1$197,7001,064 hp2.3 secondsRivian R1S Quad-Motor$121,9901,025 hp (Gen 2)2.6 secondsGMC Hummer EV Pickup 3X$107,9951,000 hp3.0 secondsAll prices exclude destination charges and other taxesAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Model S Plaid laid down the challenge to other auto manufacturers to develop their own mega-horsepower rivals, and there are several new 1,000-hp+ vehicles out there to choose from in 2026. The 1,019-hp Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and 1,234-hp Lucid Air Sapphire both cost around $250,000 new, and less direct competitors like the 1,064-hp Corvette ZR1 start at $197,700, but you'll need two if you want seating for four.1,000-hp+ supercars and hypercars, aside from the conspicuously well-priced Corvette, start at well over $500,000 and extend into millions of dollars. The closest you'll get to the Model S Plaid in terms of pricing are electric Pickups and SUVs like the Hummer EV Pickup 3X, and Rivian R1S Quad. Both are astoundingly quick and come packed with luxury features, but it will take a few years before their value drops into the $50,000 bracket.There are also several desirable used performance cars out there in the $50,000 bracket, but none come close to the performance and power of the Model S Plaid.The Undisputed Ultra Performance BargainHennessey Performance/YouTubeView the 2 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementThanks to the Tesla Model S Plaid having beaten its rivals to market all those years ago, we can now benefit from the depreciation of these older models, and still get performance levels that are on par with some far pricier new rivals. The earliest Model S Plaids will have come to the end of their initial 4-year warranties, but the 8-year / 150,000-mile factory powertrain and battery warranty will still be in effect, for added peace of mind.Newer Model S Plaids will have benefited from a few factory upgrades and modifications over the years, and it is worth looking for ones equipped with the Track Package from new as it upgraded the brakes, tires and bumped the speed limiter up from 163 to 200 mph. In 2022 a tilting center infotainment screen was introduced, and the computer hardware was upgraded in 2023. The last two model years saw exterior and interior tweaks and the suspension was retuned, but the core of the Plaid remained the same, and any well-cared for example is worth a serious look.If you have $50,000 or so set aside for your next car and are looking for something understated, practical and extremely rapid, there is arguably no better option out there than an early Tesla Model S Plaid.This story was originally published by Autoblog on Jul 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.