Tesla P85D Top Speed, Performance To Be Boosted In 'Next Few Months'

The Tesla Model S P85D electric car's greatest talent seems to be generating outrageous performance figures.

Tesla itself claims the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive car produces 691 horsepower. Now, the first independent test of its torque is equally impressive.

DON'T MISS: 2014 Tesla Model S P85D: First Drive Of All-Electric AWD Performance Sedan

That number is 864 pound-feet, according to Drag Times (via Jalopnik), which put a brand new P85D on a dynamometer to see just how much twisting force it could muster.

2014 Tesla Model S P85D, road test, Dec 2014 [photo: David Noland]

The car was strapped to the "rolling road" at Horsepower Logic in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. While it had two sets of rollers to accommodate all-wheel-drive vehicles, things didn't go perfectly smooth.

The instantaneous response of the twin electric motors in the Model S caused the tires to spin on the first couple of tries, though a gentler touch ultimately produced the 864 lb-ft peak--which was confirmed on multiple runs.

ALSO SEE: Motor Trend Reviews Tesla P85D, Drools & Froths Uncontrollably

Drag Times did find that the peak torque doesn't last long--either on the dyno or in real-world driving--although Tesla will apparently address this in a future software update.

A Tesla statement says the carmaker will soon roll out upgrades for the P85D that will improve high-speed performance "above what anyone outside Tesla has experienced to date."

Tesla Model S P85D leaked (Image via Tesla Motors Club)

Tesla will raise the car's electronically-limited top speed from 130 mph to 155 mph.

The upgrade will be offered free of charge, and will be available for the lifetime of each car--meaning subsequent owners will also be able to take advantage of it.

Here's the complete statement from Tesla Motors:

The P85D top speed is currently electronically-limited to 130 mph. In the coming months, we will be able to upgrade the car free of charge to enable a 155 mph top speed. This free update will be available for the lifetime of the car (not limited to the first owner). Additionally, an over-the-air firmware upgrade to the power electronics will improve P85D performance at high speed above what anyone outside Tesla has experienced to date. In other words, the car will be better than you experienced. This free upgrade will be rolled out in the next few months, once full validation is complete.

In its current form, the P85D is already one of the most impressive performance sedans--electric or otherwise--on sale. A more-responsive powertrain and a higher top speed can only cement its place in the fast-car hierarchy still further.

_______________________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.