Tesla Owners SV highlights Model S Motor Trend note

Tesla Owners Silicon Valley revived an older Tesla talking point this week when it posted on X on May 20 highlighting Elon Musk’s remark that the Model S had won “best car ever” from MotorTrend. The post circulated among Tesla owner and EV enthusiast accounts and prompted replies about what MotorTrend had actually awarded and when. MotorTrend’s published record shows two separate honors behind that shorthand: the Model S won the magazine’s 2013 Car of the Year award, and later became its “Ultimate Car of the Year” in a 70th-anniversary retrospective. ### What exactly was Tesla Owners Silicon Valley pointing to? Tesla Owners Silicon Valley’s May 20 X post highlighted a screenshot of Musk tying the Model S to a “best car ever” claim, according to the social post referenced in the thread. The wording matches a broader Tesla fan shorthand that collapses multiple MotorTrend accolades into one line. (motortrend.com) MotorTrend did not use the phrase “best car ever” as the formal name of its 2013 award. The publication’s own archive shows the Model S was named its 2013 Car of the Year, a decision it described as a unanimous vote by judges and guest judges. ### Where did the “best car ever” idea come from? MotorTrend’s July 2019 coverage is the clearest source for the later, broader claim. (motortrend.com) In an interview tied to the outlet’s 70th anniversary, MotorTrend said its editorial staff had reviewed the Cars of the Year it had awarded over seven decades and selected the Model S as its “Ultimate Car of the Year.” (motortrend.com) That 2019 label is closer to what Tesla supporters mean when they describe the Model S as MotorTrend’s top car across eras. In the interview, MotorTrend told Musk, “We’re here to celebrate the Model S as our Ultimate Car of the Year,” and Musk replied, “Thank you. Great honor.” ### What did MotorTrend say when it first honored the car? (motortrend.com) MotorTrend’s original Car of the Year write-up, republished in 2024, called the Model S “a truly remarkable automobile” and “the most accomplished all-new luxury car” since the Lexus LS 400. The article also said the Model S was the first winner in the award’s history that was not powered by an internal-combustion engine. (motortrend.com) Tesla’s own November 2012 post on the award said the Model S received a unanimous vote from MotorTrend’s panel and called it one of the industry’s highest honors. Tesla also quoted Musk saying the company’s aim was to show that an electric car could be better than a gasoline car. ### Why are people arguing over the wording now? (motortrend.com) The May 20 thread appears to have revived an old distinction between MotorTrend’s formal award names and the looser language used in fan posts. “Car of the Year” in 2013 and “Ultimate Car of the Year” in 2019 are documented in MotorTrend’s archive; “best car ever” is a paraphrase rather than the title of either award. (tesla.com) MotorTrend’s current review page also shows how much the publication’s view of the Model S has changed over time. Its latest Model S review rates the car 8.0 out of 10 and lists “ancient fundamentals,” “not up to luxury standards,” and “erratic self-driving tech” among the drawbacks. ### What is the cleanest way to describe the claim? The most precise description is that MotorTrend named the Tesla Model S its 2013 Car of the Year and later selected it as its “Ultimate Car of the Year” in a 2019 70th-anniversary feature. (motortrend.com) That is the documented basis for the Musk remark highlighted this week by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley. (motortrend.com) MotorTrend’s archive and Tesla’s 2012 company post remain the primary public records for the award claim, while the May 20 X post is the social-media entry point that recirculated it among Tesla owner groups. (motortrend.com)