Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Tesla sued because a Model S P85D in ‘Insane Mode’ isn’t insane enough

Published Sep 21st, 2016 3:00PM EDT
Tesla Model S Lawsuit

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Tesla critics don’t need to search far and wide for reasons to criticize the company. From complaints that the company’s Autopilot software is dangerous to complaints that the fit and finish of the Model S is beneath what one would expect from a luxury car, Tesla is obviously not free from scrutiny.

But if there’s one thing that Tesla does right, if there’s one thing that even the most vocal of Tesla detractors would have to concede, it’s that Tesla’s cars are blazing fast. Tesla’s most recent Model S P100D, for example, can go from 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds flat. Equally as impressive is that Tesla’s SUV – the Model X – is no slouch in the speed department either. In short, if there’s one thing that Tesla knows, it’s speed.

DON’T MISS: iPhone 7 photo samples: Seriously, how does a phone have a camera this good?

That being the case, a peculiar lawsuit emanating out of Norway accuses Tesla cars of not being fast enough. According to a report from Bloomberg, 126 Tesla Model S owners are alleging that the Model S P85D in Insane mode isn’t, well, it’s just not insane enough.

Some 126 owners of the Tesla Model S sedan’s P85D performance version are seeking unspecified reimbursements after the model only reached 469 horsepower instead of a pledged 700 hp, said Kaspar N. Thommessen, an attorney at Wikborg Rein law firm representing the plaintiffs.

The car “has too low horsepower,” the lawyer said Wednesday in an e-mailed response to questions. “And of course, it affects the car’s performance, according to the consumers.”

Tesla meanwhile is disputing the claims, with a company spokesperson relaying that the 0-60 MPH time of the Model S P85D is commensurate with the company’s 3.1 to 3.3 second claims. In turn, Tesla maintains that the aforementioned Model S meets the advertised technical requirements “according to the measurement method required by the authorities.”

It’ll certainly be entertaining to see how this lawsuit progresses, especially because Tesla owners are typically such die-hard fans that the idea of Tesla owners en masse suing the company is downright, well, it’s downright ludicrous.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.