Plaid R&D may migrate to Roadster

An X post from user @chasing_nines on May 24 added a new layer to Tesla fan debate after the company’s Model S and Model X retirement became public. The post said Plaid drivetrain research and development could migrate to Tesla’s long-delayed Roadster, and added that a smaller version of that hardware could later support a halo Model 3 Performance variant. The claim was presented as speculation, not as a statement from Tesla. It arrived after Tesla-linked media and auto outlets reported that Model S and Model X had been officially retired in May. ### What exactly was posted on May 24? The May 24 post from @chasing_nines said that, with Model S and Model X shelved, Plaid motor research could move to the Roadster. The same post said a miniaturized Plaid drivetrain could also open the door to a higher-end Model 3 Performance derivative and other faster Tesla variants, according to the social-media briefing provided for this story. (youtube.com) X’s public page for the post was not readable through the web tool, but the post ID supplied in the briefing was 2058616668142891227 and the social briefing identified it as a May 24 post that drew replies. No Tesla executive or company account was cited in the briefing as endorsing the idea. ### Why are people connecting this to the end of Model S and X? Tesla’s Model S and Model X were reported retired in May, ending production of the company’s two older flagship vehicles. (electrek.co) Electrek reported on April 1 that Elon Musk had confirmed production had stopped and that custom orders had ended, while InsideEVs reported in May that the final cars had rolled off the line. (x.com) Ride the Lightning episode 564 also framed the moment as a closing chapter for the two vehicles. The episode description said Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and Engineering Vice President Lars Moravy joined host Ryan McCaffrey to discuss the “legacy and history” of Model S and Model X “as both cars are officially retired this week.” ### What is the Plaid hardware Tesla already has? (electrek.co) Tesla said in a January product post that Model S Plaid received drive-unit improvements with refined carbon-wrapped rotors and that Model X used the same Plaid powertrain. The company said Model X became “the world’s most powerful production SUV” with 1,020 bhp using that setup. That matters because the X post is built on an existing Tesla performance architecture, not on an entirely new concept. (youtube.com) The post’s leap is that engineering work once aimed at S and X Plaid could be repurposed elsewhere if those vehicles are no longer in production. That remains an inference from an outside user, not a disclosed Tesla plan. ### Why does the Roadster keep coming up? (tesla.com) The Roadster has long been Tesla’s unresolved performance flagship project. Third-party coverage in May said the car is still expected to sit above Model S Plaid in performance, and earlier reporting tied the Roadster to the role once envisioned for the canceled Model S Plaid Plus. Electrek reported in February 2025 that Tesla executives Franz von Holzhausen and Lars Moravy appeared uncertain about the Roadster’s status during a Jay Leno segment, underscoring how little recent official detail Tesla has provided. (tesla.com) Tesla’s own public vehicle-program listings, as summarized by Electrek, still described the Roadster as in development. (topelectricsuv.com) ### Has Tesla said any of this about Model 3 Performance? Tesla has not publicly said, in the sources reviewed, that a miniaturized Plaid drivetrain is headed to Model 3 Performance. The May 24 X post described that as a possible outcome, and no Tesla filing, company post or executive quote in the sourced material confirmed it. Episode 564 of Ride the Lightning, featuring von Holzhausen and Moravy, is one place to watch for any further first-hand comments on where Tesla’s performance engineering focus goes next. (electrek.co) Tesla’s Roadster remains listed by outside coverage as an in-development program, and any next concrete step would likely come through Tesla product updates or executive remarks. (youtube.com) (electrek.co)