Kevin Erickson, a muscle car fan from Denver, Colorado, wanted to give new life to a 1972 Plymouth Satellite Coupe. So, he decided to swap out its 318 V8 engine for one from a Tesla Model S. This wasn’t as simple as swapping in the battery, but rather the complete Tesla Model S rear subframe had to be installed, complete with brakes, half shafts, inverter and more. Since there wasn’t enough room for the factory suspension, a pushrod suspension had to be custom fabricated. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Under normal circumstances, very few, if any, production cars can win in a drag race against even the factory 2012 Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle. However, when you pit the Tesla Model S Plaid against a modified superbike outfitted with a 1340cc engine making 204 wheel horsepower, the former puts up quite the fight. Let’s just say that the instant torque of the Tesla Model S Plaid definitely helped it off the line. Read more for the video and additional information.
David Colombo, a 19-year-old security researcher, claims to have access to over 25 Tesla vehicles in 13 countries, thanks to a software flaw in the company’s systems. Thankfully, he is in contact with Tesla’s security team right now to get things patched, otherwise nefarious actors would be able to remotely run commands, such as disabling Sentry Mode, opening doors or windows, and even starting keyless driving. Read more for a video and additional information.
Since the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was going on this week, it’s no surprise that a multitude of Tesla vehicles would be using the Boring Company’s underground tunnel for quick access to the convention center. For those who don’t know, it’s essentially a 1.7-mile loop designed to ferry passengers around the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), cutting down the commute time for a 45-minute walk to a 2-minute drive during typical scenarios. Read more to see the traffic jam that ensued earlier this week.
H/t: Car Scoops
Spyker’s CyberKAT is essentially a Tesla Cybertruck-inspired tracked snow vehicle that can be transformed into a snowblower with a special attachment. It measures 29″ x 19″ x 9.5″ with 4.25″ of ground clearance and the frame is made from plasma cut 0.04″ 5052 aluminum sheet metal for extra durability. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Tesla’s Software Version 11.0 is now live, and it’s their most anticipated holiday release yet. Aside from a new Light Show function that lets users choreograph light shows to their choice in music, SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog has also been added as well as a Boombox Megaphone that lets you to project your voice using the vehicle’s external speaker. Read more for three videos showcasing all of the new features.
Tuomas Katainen from Finland decided to strap 66-pounds of dynamite onto his 2013 Tesla S Model after discovering that it would cost him $22,000 USD to replace the vehicle’s battery. Currently, Tesla will replace the battery under warranty if capacity drops below 70% before hitting 150,000 miles or within 8-years of purchase. Unfortunately, older models, like Katanien’s, are left with pricey replacements. Read more for the shenanigans and additional information.
Photo credit: RR Auction
This might be the most valuable non-Tesla, PayPal or SpaceX Elon Musk item yet. More specifically, two pieces of coursework annotated and initialed by Elon Musk as a teaching assistant in an entrepreneurship class (MGMT 231) taught by Myles Bass at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1995 has just sold for $7,753 USD. One of them is a written exam booklet with nine pages filled out and graded by Musk on the front cover in red ink, “73, EM.” Read more for additional pictures and information.
Sure, the second-generation Tesla Roadster is set to get a jet-powered “SpaceX Package”, but that is a few years away. One Tesla Model S owner just couldn’t wait anymore, so he added his own jet turbines onto his vehicle. There jet turbines, the kind you typically find on remote-controlled airplanes, are mounted in the rear, with around 200 parts that needed to be custom fabricated. This meant lots of CAD work and 3D-printing. Read more for a video and bonus.
First, there was the Tesla surfboard and then the Boring Company flamethrower, but now, even a Cybertruck-inspired whistle is enough to grab the attention of Elon Musk fans worldwide. At $50 a pop, this whistle, made from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin, sold out in minutes, and now commands a hefty premium on eBay, with prices ranging from $200 all the way up to $20,000+. Read more for additional pictures and information.