Rumor: More Powerful Tesla Model S Could Debut This Week

-The automotive rumor mill is all but convinced that the Tesla Model S will get a significant styling and drivetrain update soon. Last week, we brought you the news that Tesla may be planning to update the styling of the Model S to more closely match the Model X and Model 3. Today, we get a rumor about the powertrain, and it’s a biggie.

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According to The Verge, Tesla may be ready to add a 100kWh battery to the Model S lineup as soon as this week. This would increase the driving range offered by the current largest battery option, 90kWh—Electrek‘s back-of-the-envelope calculations foresee a driving range of as much as 320 miles for a hypothetical Model S P100D, although that’s a rough guess. We’d also bet that a potential Model S P100D with Ludicrous mode might get incrementally quicker acceleration, but that could just be wishful thinking on our part.

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The Verge also reports that the updated Model S could get the “Bioweapon Defense Mode” currently offered on the Model X, which seals off the passenger cabin from outside air and runs the air-conditioned air through a giant HEPA filter, a truly Muskian gimmick.

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And as we reported last week, we expect the Model S to get updated styling, with the Model X’s smaller front “grille” and updated LED headlights and taillights.

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Tesla, as always, won’t comment on rumor or speculation, and the automaker’s habit of last-minute delays means we should view this rumor with a bit of skepticism. And back in October, Tesla told us point-blank it had no plans to update the Model S’s styling.

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• Tesla CEO Clarifies Model 3 Features, Reservation Tally Via Twitter; We Explain What Happens to All that Deposit Money

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• Semi-Autonomous Cars Compared! Tesla Model S vs. BMW 750i, Infiniti Q50 S, Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG

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• Tesla Model S: Tests, Reviews, Specs, Pricing, and More

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Still, four years into the Model S’s tenure, and with all the feverish excitement around the Model 3, now might be a good time for Tesla to do something to boost interest in its current longest-running product.

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This story originally appeared on Road & Track.

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from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com/rumor-more-powerful-tesla-model-s-could-debut-this-week/