- Jay Leno just set a new land-speed record, and he has Elon Musk to thank for it.
- The former “Tonight Show” host was recording a segment for an upcoming edition of his CNBC show “Jay Leno’s Garage” by taking a Tesla Model S Plaid out for a spin on a racetrack in an attempt to break the quarter-mile land-speed record for a production model.
- Speaking with CNBC Shepard Smith Leno confirmed the news.
- Leno did it in less than 10 seconds at more than 150 mph at Autoclub Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California. He ran the quarter-mile in 9.247 seconds at 152.09 mph. To offer some perspective, other vehicles in the nine-second club include the Bugatti Chiron, McLaren P1, and Dodge Challenger Demon.
- “It is now the fastest production car you can buy. Faster than any Ferrari, faster than a three-and-a-half-million-dollar Bugatti,” Leno said of the Tesla Model S Plaid, which retails for about $135,000.
- Elon Musk took to Twitter to praise Leno’s achievement, writing, “Jay is awesome!”
Melissa Forman in the MorningFull Bio