First Tesla Model S P85D Owner Spotted, Says it’s “Racecar Stuff”

Since California accounts for nearly 50 percent of all plug-in vehicles sold in the US, it’s only fitting that the first Tesla Model S P85D was spotted in that state; more specifically, in a parking lot in Woodland Hills.

The owner of the most powerful, 691hp, dual-motor AWD Model S is a Southern California contractor, Kevin Babineau. He calls himself a hobbyist, as he owns quite a few cars from Ferraris to Humvees and a ’69 Chevy Impala, among others.

Having already owned the Roadster, it would be natural for Babineau to buy the Model S, too, but he didn’t: “I’d been waiting for the year and a half or two (after the Model S was launched), watching them go by”, he told Business Insider. “It was something I wanted to do in the beginning, but when I heard about the all-wheel drive and the new stuff they were doing, that made the difference for me.”

How did he get the P85D before anyone else? Did being friends with the guy who runs Tesla’s Topanga store in Woodland Hills help in securing the first sample? “I think it was great timing, to be honest”, he says. “I got lucky. I got in early”.

Babineau didn’t skimp on the specs, either, ticking every box in the options list, from the tech package and air suspension to the premium seats and the Autopilot system, bringing the price to nearly US$130,000. His choice of color was pearl white.

He says he had driven the rear-wheel drive Model S but not the dual-motor version. Even so, and with quite some fast cars in his garage, he describes the driving experience as “night and day” to the stock car and “pretty cool”.

“The speed, first of all, it’s so fast – you’re not used to experiencing that kind of speed. The first you do is smile and start laughing”, he comments. “The emotions that come out of that kind of speed, in that short a distance, your body’s not used to it. And pulling so many G’s, it’s exciting.”

The handling, he says, “is like a slot car, it’s scary how quick and how it sticks going around corners – you’re almost afraid to push it anymore because you don’t know what the limit is anymore It really is amazing for a four-door sedan; the way it slots around corners, and brakes, and takes off, it’s racecar stuff”.

Having done plenty of driving, he has also been using the Supercharger stations. He thinks this is “a whole unique experience by itself” as you can leave your car for half an hour “and then you’re good for another 250 miles”.

In spite of his Model S featuring the Autopilot system, it isn’t activated yet, something he was expecting when he ordered the car although some features do work: “It reads the signs as you’re going down the street and flashes that – if you’re doing 75mph in a 55 zone”. Not a novelty, but it helps not getting a speeding ticket in a car that accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds.