Tesla Motors’ P85D scores 103 out of 100 in Consumer Reports magazine evaluation

Tesla Motors' all-wheel-drive version of its battery-powered ModelS, the P85D, earned an unprecedented 103 out of a possible 100 according to an evaluation by Consumer Reports magazine.

The combination of power and efficiency was such that the magazine had to adjust its ratings methods "to account for the car's exceptionally strong performance".

The car finally secured a score of 100 setting a new standard for perfection.

The Tesla sedan capable of accelerating to 97km / hr from a stop in 3.5 seconds using the ''insane mode'' (CEO Elon Musk had since released an even faster "ludicrous mode") was the quickest, Consumer Reports had ever tested.

The P85D, a high-performance, all-wheel-drive version of the all-electric Model S, achieved a fuel consumption of 3.2 litres per 100km.

Jake Fisher, the magazine's head of automotive testing, said, "This is a glimpse into what we can expect down the line, when we will have cars with the performance of supercars, and the comfort, convenience and safety features of a luxury car - and the cars will still be extremely energy-efficient.

"We haven't seen all these things before."

Fisher praised the car as ''roomy, luxurious, comfortable and quiet,'' but he took special notice of the P85D's acceleration while using the car's ''insane mode.''

As against the original Model S making 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.6 seconds, the P85D took just 3.5 seconds, a sensation Fisher compared to a free fall.

''It's not even an automotive experience; it's kind of like being on an amusement-park ride where you're just catapulted forward,'' he said. ''It's almost disorienting, really. It's not like any other car ever.''

At $127,820, it was not only the highest-rated but also the most expensive car tested by the magazine.

Even if few Americans could afford  it, the car remained ''an automotive milepost'' that is ''a powerful statement of American startup ingenuity,'' the magazine wrote.

The P85D displaced Telsa's own Model S, from the top spot. The Model S had scored 99 out of 100 in 2013 while the next highest car, the BMW M235i, scored a 98 in 2014.

The 100 score however did not mean the car was without faults, Consumer Reports noted, criticising the interior materials.

According to Fisher, The Model S was just average in terms of reliability and there was no way to judge that yet on the new model. Also the typical limitations of electric cars were applicable, potentially making road trips difficult in the absence of charging stations.

Tesla is testing its latest autopilot feature with the electric car's upcoming semi-autonomous tech being tested by Model S drivers. (See: Tesla tests autopilot feature with Model S driver).