It's basically a Tesla go-kart.
“The Tesla Model S Plaid just isn't fast enough for me,” said no one ever. Well, not until recently, that is. We are discussing a car that can win a drag race against a hand-built hypercar like the Bugatti Divo.
Still, if you want to go faster, there's only one solution. You strip it down and build what can only be described as the lovechild of a Plaid and an Ariel Atom. Is such a thing even possible?
Well, the BoostedBoiz on YouTube wanted to find out. They purchased a Model S Plaid with rear damage and removed most of the exterior panels. Oddly, the car was no faster. But, theoretically, the brakes should work better. It should do better on a track than the infamous stripped-out Plaid that crashed last year.
Instead of giving up, the team decided an even stricter diet was required. As such, they went guns blazing on the Tesla with reciprocating saws and cutters.
They removed the car's B-pillars, the roof, the rear quarter panels, and the rear bumper. The heaviest of these was the glass roof, which weighed 87 pounds. That doesn't sound much, so let's put it into context. The weight difference between a standard BMW M3 and the bonkers M3 CS is 75 lbs. And the latter is a track-ready special edition.
The BoostedBoiz diet might seem extreme, but they were careful not to cut into the main aluminum chassis. They also left the windshield intact.
BoostedBoiz/YouTube BoostedBoiz/YouTube BoostedBoiz/YouTube
The team was also careful not to mess with the high-voltage components of the car's powertrain. A burning Tesla is not easy to put out, especially if you don't have the right equipment.
They're not done with the car yet, but by the end of this particular video, the gutted Tesla tipped the scales at 3,849 lbs. That's 900 lbs less than the standard car.
For safety, they gave E-Roy a lightweight Chromoly roll cage. This was welded and bolted onto the car's chassis to fully encapsulate the cabin and provide structural reinforcement. They also installed a wing and some racing harnesses. The build is far from complete, however.
Next stop? The Model S Plaid go-kart will go a drag strip and will be featured in a forthcoming video, and we're excited to see how it does.
BoostedBoiz/YouTube BoostedBoiz/YouTube BoostedBoiz/YouTube
Keyword: Tesla Model S Plaid Kart Build Is The Gnarliest Thing You'll See This Week