2022 Tesla Model S on 2040-cars

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This is what it takes to make the world's most expensive Tesla Model S

New Tesla or condo? That's one question you may come up with when you see this video from T Sportline that shows a Model S with enough extras to jack its price up to $205,820. Al & Ed's Autosound of West Hollywood, CA, which has a history of such things, did the honors. So here's the recipe. You start witt the $85,900 base price for the 85 kilowatt-hour Model S. That pricetag jumps to $123,770 with goodies such as the "performance plus" set-up (including fiber spoiler and red brake calipers) for a tidy $6,500, "smart air" suspension ($2,250), "tech package" ($3,750), ultra high-fidelity sound system ($2,500), panoramic sunroof ($2,500) and 21-inch grey turbine wheels ($4,500). And then the fun really starts. For instance, those wheels get upgraded to "GhostGold" forged wheels for $7,500, "exterior 3M change wrap" runs $6,000, carbon-fiber body kit goes for $5,250 and the "audiophile upgrade" costs $9,500. Finally, get a load of the "bespoke" made-to-order interior upholstery. That'll run $25,000. And before you know it, you have a mean green machine that's almost twice as expensive as Justin Bieber's chrome Fisker Karma. And from a solvent company, no less. Al & Ed's is no stranger to pushing Tesla EVs way out into the proverbial high-rent district. The team used the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show to show off a Tesla Roadster with about $50,000 worth of goodies were added. Earlier that year, they customized another Roadster to include, among other things, Mercedes-Benz leather. We've got archive coverage of those cars but we expect you'll be more interested in the new video from T Sportline of the swanky Model S below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Weekly Recap: The cost of Tesla's ambitious plans for growth

Tesla has ambitious plans for growth, and they won't come cheap. The electric-car maker said this week it plans to spend $1.5 billion in 2015 to expand production capacity, launch the Model X crossover and continue work on its Gigafactory, which is being built outside of Reno, NV. The company is also investing in its stores, service centers and charging network, which is expected to grow by more than 50 percent this year. Plus, it's still working on the Model 3, which is scheduled to arrive in 2017. "We're going to spend staggering amounts of money on [capital expenditures]," Tesla chairman and CEO Elon Musk said on an investor call. He then added: "For a good reason. And with a great ROI [return on investment]." They're bold plans, and Musk is clearly willing to put Tesla's money where his mouth is. That's why the company is projecting a whopping 70-percent increase in deliveries this year, for a total of 55,000 cars. A large chunk of that growth will come from the addition of the Model X crossover to Tesla's portfolio, and the company already has nearly 20,000 reservations for it. More than 30 Model X prototypes have been built, and it is expected to begin shipping to customers this summer. Musk said he's "highly confident" the vehicle, which has experienced delays, will arrive on time. The company also had more than 10,000 orders for the Model S at the start of the year. The big spending plans caused a stir, even though Tesla spent $369 million on capital expenditures in the fourth quarter alone. In a note to investors, Morgan Stanley analysts called the costs required to keep pace with Tesla's demand "eye-wateringly high," and said the $1.5-billion figure was nearly double their expectations. Still, Musk is not thinking small and suggested that his company could be as big in 10 years as Apple is now if Tesla's growth continues. His optimism comes as the company actually reported a $294-million net loss in 2014, more than its $74-million loss in 2013. The money, however, continues to roll in, and total revenues increased to $3.2 billion in 2014, up from $2 billion in 2013 and a dramatic surge from $413 million in 2012. More of the same is expected this year, and the company could reach $6 billion in revenue. As Morgan Stanley noted, it "seems Tesla is preparing to be a much larger company than we have forecasted." It's certainly spending that way.

Elon Musk goes deep, says 'Nobody should be CEO forever'

When someone achieves as much as Elon Musk has, it's easy to become fascinated not just with what the person is doing, but who that person is on a personal level. Sure, many of us are curious about what the future of Tesla or SpaceX looks like from inside the mind of its CEO, but some of us are also curious what he eats for breakfast. In a recent interview with Auto Bild, the German interviewers do a great job of getting Musk to open up about his business plans, his daily habits and even some of his deeper, more meaningful musings. "Nobody should be CEO forever." – Elon Musk Musk says he would likely remain CEO of Tesla Motors for three or four more years, at least long enough to see volume production of the upcoming Model III and building of the Gigafactory (for which Musk was able to command enormous incentives from the state of Nevada). "I will never leave Tesla forever, but I may not be CEO forever," Musk said. "Nobody should be CEO forever." When hiring, Musk looks for "evidence of exceptional ability" and "a track record of exceptional achievement." That does not necessarily include a college degree. "If you look at, say, people like Bill Gates or Larry Ellison, Steve Jobs, these guys didn't graduate from college, but if you had a chance to hire them, of course that would be a good idea." At an interesting point in the conversation, the interviewers ask Musk to describe himself. He says that he has an innate sense of drive and that he seeks the truth, but it's interesting to watch him dig deep to come up with an answer. "All these introspective questions are interesting," he said. "I don't get asked these very often." Musk goes on to talk about how he originally expected both SpaceX and Tesla to fail, how he lived on borrowed money to keep his companies afloat and even how he'd like to die on the planet Mars. While we didn't get to hear any more about the demon that is artificial intelligence, the video is an interesting journey through the life and mind of an exceptional person. Watch the whole thing below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.