Tesla Model S Plaid Driver Attempts Speed Run In A Carmax Parking Lot And It Ends Very Poorly

Tesla Model S Plaid Parking Lot Crash 2
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The Tesla Model S Plaid is one seriously quick car in either direction. It can run from a dead stop to 60 mph in the neighborhood of two seconds, and according to Motor Trend, brakes from 60 mph to a dead stop in 104 feet. These are not figures to be tested in a crowded parking lot, but someone tried doing so anyway, crashing spectacularly in the process. Oh, and since everything is online these days, parts of the incident were captured on video, which we’ve now seen on Instagram, Reddit, and the platform formerly known as Twitter.

As you may have expected, the driver of a Tesla Model S Plaid stood on the skinny pedal and seemingly missed their braking zone. While this doesn’t usually have disastrous consequences on a racetrack with a runoff area, it doesn’t end so well in a parking lot full of cars. Take a look:

The end result? One heavily damaged Tesla, one damaged Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, and what appears to be one damaged Volvo XC60. Gee, who could’ve predicted this would end like that?

I am curious about the vehicle damage total. A used Tesla Model S Plaid runs for around $80,000, a pre-facelift GLC 43 goes for about $35,000, and a gently-used Volvo XC60 goes for about $30,000, so I don’t see how we get to $300,000 worth of damage, here. But maybe guardrail repair and the towing bill cost $155,000? Seems unlikely, but maybe there was more than what’s shown.

Carmax Plate

We can see from the branded license-plate filler that this particular crash happened at the national used-car chain CarMax . Given that CarMax patrons typically aren’t allowed to take vehicles around the lot all willy-nilly, there’s a nonzero chance an employee was behind the wheel of this particular Model S, as alleged by the video in its reference to the driver as a “co worker.”

We don’t really know where or when this happened, though the original TikTok video from user @michaelvelley — a video that is currently unavailable — suggests the incident happened in Baltimore. We’ve reached out to CarMax and found that this isn’t a recent incident, but footage of the crash circulating online appears to be a recent phenomenon. As per a spokesperson:

The safety of our employees and customers is our top priority. This particular accident occurred nearly two years ago and was appropriately addressed at that time.

Tesla Model S Plaid Crash Landscaping

While performance cars are brilliant fun in the hands of experienced drivers, the EV-driven democratization of zero-to-60 mph acceleration times that used to be the domain of supercars may put serious velocity in the hands of more people who aren’t equipped to deploy it safely. Thank goodness the driver seemed to be able to walk away and that none of the vehicles hit in this incident appeared to be occupied or owned by private individuals.

Tesla Model S Plaid Parking Lot Crash 3

Though we don’t know exactly what happened here, this whole situation may be best summed up by one line heard in the video: “Test drive? Nah, it was stupidity.”

(Photo credits: Twitter/RacingFlorida_, TikTok/michaelvelley)

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63 thoughts on “Tesla Model S Plaid Driver Attempts Speed Run In A Carmax Parking Lot And It Ends Very Poorly”

  2. Having driven a Plaid S a few times, I can safely say these guys had to ignore their self-preservation instinct several times over in order to put themselves in this situation.

    The acceleration of the Plaid is so absurd at any speed (especially when it’s your first time) that you’d have to be pretty dumb to think “I can pull this off in a parking lot.” Then again, I did a bunch of really dumb things when I was younger too…

  3. Tangentially, I genuinely worry about how young folks in the future will drive their first cars. I got into all sorts of stupid antics that shockingly never resulted in a serious crash (tho I did drive my dad’s truck through a fence drifting in the snow) when I was in my teens but the cars I was hooning were a ’89 Mazda 626 Turbo, a ’88 Pontiac TransAm or my dad’s ’02 Chevy Silverado. The fastest of those the TransAm with rwd and 225 hp was a sluggish turd when compared to all but the slowest of EVs. I really can’t imagine how teenage car enthusiasts in 20 years will drive safely let alone explore the limits of their car when all the available beaters are doing 0-60 in like 2-5 seconds. Maybe something akin to performance driving schools will become mandatory.

  5. Pressing the accelerator with a car of this extreme capability should be treated like pulling the trigger of a gun. Both should require some kind of safe handling training in a controlled environment before using it in a public space.

  6. Yeah, I didn’t get anything from this article…except more frustrated at these fools who should have their ass beat and never have a license again

    1. probably some kid who made a dumb mistake, as if none of us have – nobody needs to “have their ass beat” over a generic hunk of metal owned by a massive corporation.

      hopefully whoever it is takes the unlimited freedom granted by their newfound unemployment to reflect upon their actions.

  8. Some folks need to learn the hard way.

    Also: Isn’t it about time to just call it X and be done with it? Pretty sure that no one is asking, “What’s X? Is that sort of like twitter?” You are giving it more air than is necessary by doing all that “formerly known as” stuff.

    2. I am in the camp that will always refer to it as “Twitter” or “the platform formerly known as Twitter”. Why? Fuck Musk and his stans. And I don’t even have an account or click content that is from it anymore because I refuse to give it any of my “air”.

      Also, it’s not giving it “more air” it’s literally to drive those who actually care about the new name another angst point in their lives.

    3. No, because X is confusing and not distinctive, it’s an incredibly stupid name.
      But yes saying “formally known as” is dumb. Call it Twitter or Xitter

    4. Well, I just wanted to comment (even though we mean the same thing) that they don’t need to learn the hard way, this BS should NEVER happen in the first place…I know what you meant though- they will learn the hard way w/ fines and jail. It’s just frustrating seeing these things happen over and over- people getting hurt unnecessarily because an idiot is irresponsible. We don’t need more nannies on cars and I can’t think of a solution besides extreme penalties like if you get drunk/drive reckless you will never have a license again, really long prison times and huge fines

  10. I think there may be a slight error in the article. In the reference to the driver being a “co worker”, I think that’s supposed to say “former co worker.”

  11. …the EV-driven democratization of zero-to-60 mph acceleration times that used to be the domain of supercars may put serious velocity in the hands of more people who aren’t equipped to deploy it safely.

    I object to the implication that people with the means to afford supercars are somehow constitutionally better equipped to deploy them safely. Case in point – the recent story about Elon Musk sending his McLaren into an embankment trying to impress Peter Thiel in a parking lot. The difference between Musk’s dumbass stunt and the one in this article is the driver’s ability to absorb any financial or legal consequences in the aftermath.

    1. I don’t think that’s the point. I think the point is that that kind of acceleration is available to a heck of a lot more people. If the average driver skill level is the same (I’d venture to say it might actually be less), there will still be a much greater quantity of incidents as the performance becomes accessible to so many more people.
      And let’s not forget that EVs may have the power to accelerate like a super car, but they’re trying to slow down and/or turn about a ton of extra weight over that supercar.

    2. People who can afford to spend several hundred thousand dollars on a supercar can also afford driving schools and track days. So yes; better equipped to handle a high performance vehicle.

      1. Sure they can afford it, but do they actually do that? I believe that was the poster’s point. Those same people can also afford dedicated professionals to drive them around, but they don’t all do that either.

  13. Going to go on an Old Man Rant about acceleration in modern cars now. Why is it necessary or even desirable for ANY car to be able to do 0-60 in 2.1 seconds? The only people who will be inclined to utilize this kind of acceleration will be exactly the kind of people who really shouldn’t have access to it, and who will use it in situations where all it will do is get them in trouble and innocent people hurt.

      1. It’s not ALWAYS desirable. With enough rain or snow on the ground, exceptionally fast acceleration is not what you want.
        You can argue that those types of vehicles shouldn’t be driven in less than ideal traction conditions, but when EVERY vehicle for some reason needs to be a rocketship, it makes things difficult.

        1. Not true. I still want those things in those conditions. Tires and brakes that’ll work in those conditions, too, but that’s another discussion. I also want a pony for Christmas.

    2. Seriously. I love my Polestar 2, which is comparatively slow at 4.5 seconds to 60, but I would much rather have had a car that took a glacial 7 seconds to 60 but gave me 350 miles of range (or more).

    3. I personally can get a bit motion sick as a driver once 0-60 acceleration is down into the 4.x second range. A coworker and his wife found out their 2 year old gets very motion sick with that sort of acceleration, just before returning an overnight loaner vehicle that needed to be quickly cleaned….

    4. Yeah, it’s pointless now besides for speed records on a track- like the funny car article today (I know it didn’t go in the books officially) I don’t care about street cars that can go anything under 5 seconds or whatever, but I have no place to say that no one should have that. Yeah, these fast cars are more accessible now to more idiots on their phones; so I think there should be better driving skill requirements like in Germany on the Autobahn even though it’s fast people actually drive how their supposed to

    5. I agree with you. Why is Tesla taking in $1.8B selling emission credits so people can drive cars way beyond nearly everyone’s skill? Also, the fleet emissions standards are a joke, since this happens.

  15. A used Tesla Model S Plaid runs for around $80,000, a pre-facelift GLC 43 goes for about $35,000, and a gently-used Volvo XC60 goes for about $30,000, so I don’t see how we get to $300,000 worth of damage, here. But maybe guardrail repair and the towing bill cost $155,000?

    Given it’s a CarMax and their typical prices, that probably bridges the gap to the 300k range. Seriously though, went to one two months ago to look at possible cars for my sister, and this Carmax had 5k mile used 2024 CRVs for 4k over MSRP, and 2-3 year old CRVs that were a generation old, smoked in, and rough, for around 1-2k less than a new one at sticker.

    3. But, they are “haggle free”!

      The regular car dealer down the street would be happy to not haggle on price either, if you don’t want to bother with it. You’d get the same lukewarm to poor deal typically offered at CarMax.

    1. Sued for what? Seriously, the person lost their job for sure, but also just as surely did not get sued. If that person was an employee on the clock, then they were acting as an agent of CarMax and thus their employer has a legal obligation to defend them. If CarMax tried to sue, they would be suing themselves and you can’t do that. Driving cars is an obvious daily activity at car dealership, so it’s not like this wasn’t part of the job. Just because they did the job very, very, very badly doesn’t mean you can sue them for that.

      1. IDK about that. I’m not aware of any obligation for companies to defend their employees for anything they do on the clock, absent some contract to that effect (like an executive officer indemnification agreement). Employees get [fired and] sued for things like embezzlement all the time.

        I think what you’re referring to is “respondeat superior,” the concept that if some OTHER person suffered damages at the hands of a CarMax employee acting within the course/scope of employment, that third party can hold CarMax liable. But I don’t know how the courts come out on whether nonsense like this is within the course/scope of employment.

        [Disclaimer: this is not my area of specialty at all! I could certainly be wrong!]

        2. Absent illegal behavior, the employer would probably have to show that the employee was acting in such a reckless manner that it was outside the scope of their duties. Obviously employers don’t sue their employees for just being shitty employees. I think Carmax could sue this dude– although something tells me it would not be worth their time to do so.

          To be clear, I am agreeing with you. Just doing it in a very obnoxious (i.e., lawyery) way.

        3. You absolutely cannot successfully sue an employee for doing their job poorly and operating cars is part of a dealership job. End of story. Employees are agents thereof and you can’t sue yourself. Just try.

          I did not say companies are obligated to defend for anything done on the clock. To imply such is a specious exaggeration. However they must defend you for things even remotely related to your job duties and again, car dealership… Embezzlement is an utterly ridiculous example because of course it’s illegal and not part of anyone’s legit job duties! Indemnifications agreements are also a terrible example because they cannot cover illegal acts because all contracts are void when it comes to illegal activity.

          Willful negligence, illegal acts, acting outside the scope of your duties, sure, you can get sued. Accidentally hitting the Go pedal instead of the Whoa pedal, not a chance.

          1. You really think this was a case of accidental acceleration? That’s fine if that’s your position, it’s just contrary to the thrust of the article (and the employee putting the car in “plaid mode” is NOT a helpful fact in making that argument).

            Anyway, since you’re claiming “specious exaggeration,” you literally said “If that person was an employee on the clock, then they were acting as an agent of CarMax and thus their employer has a legal obligation to defend them.” I am saying that’s incorrect and citing embezzlement as a clear/obvious example.

            I never said indemnification agreements apply in the case of embezzlement (aside from illegality, these would carve out gross negligence/willful misconduct), but I cited them as one of the few times when an “employer has a legal duty to defend [the employee].”

            BTW “duty to defend” is different from “liability for wrongdoing.”

            1. Do me a small favor as it seems like you have Lexis/Nexis access. Please do a search and let me know what you find. I will willfully eat my words if you anyone finds a successful lawsuit against this driver.

              Challenge offered (mostly because I would love to know what happened and not because I love eating my words).

              2. Re-reading the thread I realize my initial reply could sound like I was saying CarMax sued the driver. Not my intention. I agree they probably didn’t, I just replied initially to say they could have if they wanted to. But again, not my practice area, and like you said, I’d be curious to find out what happened (if anything).

          2. Except that he willfully, wontonly, and negligently hit the accelerator in plaid mode. In a parking lot. What part of any of that is part of his normal job duties?

  20. It’s funny how this sort of thing used to be mostly the domain of the motorcycle world, as that was the only source of cheap, (relatively) massive power.

    Youtube has squid vids of guys on supersports and up in dealership parking lots – one ill-advised yank on the throttle dumps them on their ass/launches the bike skyward into parked cars, other bikes, etc. Less damage than here, but still cringe-worthy.

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