Last October, there was online drama about a Tesla Model S being defeated by a Porsche Taycan Turbo S in a drag race. In response, Elon Musk tweeted about increasing peak output in Model S and X Performance by 50 horsepower. Now, roughly five months later, the software update that includes that bump in power—firmware 2020.12.5 in Tesla parlance—has begun gradually rolling out via over-the-air updates to Tesla models, but it also includes additional changes for the Model S, Model X, and Model 3. So, what’s new?
Performance and Launch Mode Improvements for Model S and Model X Performance
This is where the “cheetah” bit comes into play, as Tesla now utilizes the adaptive suspension of the Model S and X Performance to lower the front axle in Launch Mode, mimicking that superfast cat’s stance as it races off the line. This should help the car launch quicker, as seen in a video released by DragTimes. Tesla told us there’s indeed an increase of peak power but also more power available above 80 mph. Unlike the Taycan, which has a two-speed gearbox, the Model S and X have one gear ratio. In order to improve the quarter-mile time, then, more power at high speed is necessary, and Tesla also says it has increased the powertrain’s thermal endurance by up to three times with this update. This is meant to address one of the largest issues many have with Tesla models: the insanely hard and quick acceleration performance simply wasn’t repeatable, as the powertrain overheated too soon. (Another impetus for the update, no doubt, is that Porsche has demonstrated the Taycan can be launched multiple consecutive times with consistent results.) Perhaps to emphasize this new, ostensibly repeatable performance, Tesla also Marie Kondo’d the in-car interface to make “joy-sparking” features such as Ludicrous+ Mode and Max Battery Power more easily accessible by driver.
Here are the FW 2020.12.5 tweaks available to other models, as well:
Dashcam Viewer
Tesla’s Sentry Mode is a well-loved feature among Tesla owners; when one of the EVs is parked with the feature on, the car detects suspicious movements around itself and records 10 minutes of footage using its onboard cameras. The video is then saved to a USB drive. Previously, Tesla owners needed to take that flash drive to a computer to view the video, but the new update has simplified the process by adding Dashcam Viewer. Through the in-car infotainment screen, owners can view and delete unwanted Sentry Mode and dash-cam clips. Each clip is organized by location and date. Front, left, right, and rear views are all synced while viewing, as well.
Driving Visualization Improvement
This one is mainly for Teslas with FSD Hardware 2.5, a.k.a. an earlier version of the Full Self-Driving option’s components. Now, those versions show traffic cones in the driving-visualization display that shows on the screen. Previously, this feature was limited only to version 3.0 of the FSD hardware. In addition, the car not only detects cones but also reacts to them. When Navigate on Autopilot is activated and traffic cones are detected, the car either prompts a lane-change suggestion or attempts a lane change itself depending on the setting chosen by the driver. (Of course, as usual, the driver should always pay attention and is responsible for keeping the car—and themselves—out of trouble.) The car also avoids cones when Smart Summon—the feature whereby a driverless Tesla will unpark itself and return to the owner’s location—is activated, a feature that has us imagining what it could do at an autocross course.
Bye Bye, HAL 9000
When Sentry Mode detects suspicious movements, it also displays a graphic which closely resembles HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey on the center-console touchscreen as a warning. Now that graphic has been replaced by a flashing red/orange circle. Why the change? Tesla didn’t provide an answer, but we suspect there could be some copyright issue.
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