Tesla’s next car, the P85D, will have two motors and all-wheel drive. It will match the 3.2 second 0 to 60 mph time of the McLaren F1, one of the fastest cars ever made. And it will be even more efficient than the current, already terrific, Model S. 
 
 “This car is nuts. It’s like taking off from a carrier deck. It’s just bananas,” said CEO Elon Musk, who unveiled the D at a crowded event, next door to the headquarters of the other company he helms, Space X. 
 
 And for those who settle for the standard Model S over the new Model S P85D, there’s something new: The cars now being produced are stuffed with high-tech safety technologies that will allow the car to automatically avoid danger and even drive itself—kind of. 
 
 The Model S P85D shares an exterior with the Model S sedan, and Musk didn’t mention any changes to the interior. What is different is what’s under the skin: A new motor between the front wheels to go along with the one in back. In addition to sending power to all four wheels, which is good news for customers in snowy climes, the system will boost the already impressive acceleration and the top speed. The P85D will get to 60 mph a full second faster than the current top of the line Tesla, the P85. It will max out at 155 mph instead of 130. 
 
 You might also like:Elon Musk's Mission to MarsThe 11 Coolest Cars From the Paris Motor ShowThis Is the Hyperloop, Elon Musk's Fantastical Vision of Mass TransitEach of the three versions of the Model S will come as a D model. The price of the 60kWh battery model will go from $71,070 to $75,070 for the dual motor system. The 85 kWh car goes from $81,070 to $85,070, and the P85 jumps from $105,570 to $120,170. Deliveries of the less powerful D models will start in February, the P85D should hit the road in December. 
 
 What’s especially impressive is that Tesla managed to improve the car’s efficiency and range, despite the added mass of the second motor. The 85D and P85D will be able to drive 275 miles on a charge, 10 more than the 85 and P85. The range of the 60kWh version climbs from 208 to 225 miles. Musk said the added efficiency is thanks to the electronic system that will shift power between the front and rear motors from one millisecond to the next, so each is always operating at its most efficient point. Tesla has long said it will offer all-wheel drive on its next car, the Model X SUV, so it’s no surprise it’s bringing the technology to the sedan. 
 
 But the design and production of a high-performance version of the S is something of a pivot away from what Musk says is Tesla’s ultimate goal: offering a high-quality, electric car that can travel hundreds of miles without recharging, for around $35,000. That long-awaited “affordable” EV will be called the Model 3, and will follow the Model X to market. Tesla’s been quiet about when, exactly, that’ll happen. 
 
 Autopilot 
 
 In a move that most of the luxury auto market has already made, the car will offer active safety features like adaptive cruise control and the ability to read speed limit signs, stop itself if a crash is imminent, stay in its lane, and even park itself in a street spot or in your garage. (Musk seemed to decide on the spot he wanted the car’s charger to automatically plug in, but let’s give his engineers a chance to take a breath before getting to work on that one.) 
 
 These features are provided thanks to new hardware that will go into future Model S cars (and is already in every car produced in the past two weeks). Tesla is adding a radar that can see through fog and snow; a camera with image recognition capability to spot traffic signs and lights, as well as pedestrians; 360-degree ultrasonic sonar; and a system that combines all the data those produce with navigation, GPS, and real-time traffic systems. 
 
 The new dashboard of Tesla "D" model electric sedan is seen on a giant screen. Kevork Djansezian/Getty 
 
 The net result will be a car that can be put on “autopilot,” if not fully autonomous mode. Tesla isn’t ready to make the jump quite yet, Musk said, since the safety system can’t be fully relied on, and regulations to handle self-driving cars have to be figured out. If you fall asleep while driving, the car, Musk said, it wouldn't be able to get you home safely. But if you try to steer into danger, the wheel will resist. Owners will also be able to summon the car to pick them up autonomously, as long as they’re on private property, where DOT and other regulations don’t apply. "The car can do almost anything," he said. 
 
 The technology behind these systems is likely provided by Daimler, as the two companies have a partnership: Tesla provides batteries for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive car. In December 2013, Daimler said it “has cooperated successfully with Tesla for several years and currently intends to broaden and deepen its partnership in the coming years.” Mercedes offers many of these features on its vehicles, and is working to put a self-driving car on the market by 2020. 
 
 This pile of features fully catches Tesla up with the luxury market in the one area where it was actually behind. As impressive as the current Model S is in terms of performance, it didn’t even have any adaptive cruise control, which monitors the car’s distance from other vehicles in addition to staying at speed on its own. 
 
 So now that it’s reestablished its position as the true innovator in the auto industry, maybe Tesla can go back to work on building a wonderful electric car more of us can take home. 
 
 UPDATED TIME: 12:26 am, 10/10/2014. This story was updated to include pricing and availability information. 
 
 UPDATED TIME: 5:28 pm, 10/10/2014. This story was updated to correct a statement about the capabilities of The Model D's autopilot. ||||| Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images 
 
 Tesla on Thursday night showed off a new line of dual-motor, all-wheel-drive versions of its Model S sedans, the fastest of which will sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a breakneck 3.2 seconds. That will put it in a class with the quickest production cars on the road. 
 
 Will Oremus Will Oremus is Slate’s senior technology writer. Email him at will.oremus@slate.com or follow him on Twitter. 
 
 “Dual-motor,” as many suspected, is what the “D” stood for in CEO Elon Musk’s cryptic tweet last week announcing Thursday’s event. Tesla will introduce three new “D” trim lines for the Model S: the lower-end 60D, the 85D, and the top-of-the-line P85D. The latter will come with three performance settings, Musk said Thursday: “normal,” “sport,” and, um, “insane.” 
 
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 The front and rear motors, Musk explained, will allow a form of all-wheel drive that is more dynamic and sophisticated than the mechanical systems found in conventional, single-engine all-wheel-drive cars. The result will be a more efficient powertrain that can transfer power seamlessly between the front and rear axles, giving the car not only better handling and acceleration but a greater range and higher top speed. 
 
 Those who read Musk’s tweet will recall that he also promised “something else.” That turned out to be an “A:” autopilot mode. And it is already being added to the Teslas that are coming off the assembly line today. 
 
 The autopilot system, Musk said, includes a forward-looking radar and ultrasonic sensors on all sides that can sense “even soft objects, like a small child or even a dog.” Among other things, the system will be able to tell “if there’s a car in your blind spot, or if you’ve got a highway barrier on one side,” he added. 
 
 Illustration courtesy of Tesla Motors 
 
 The result will be a car that has the ability to stay in its lane, adjust its speed to match the flow of traffic, and slam on the brakes to avoid an obstacle—all without the driver’s intervention. It will also be able to self-park, Musk said, so “you’ll be able to step out of the car and have it park itself in your garage.” At some point, Musk added with a twinkle in his eye, he’d also like to add a system that plugs the car into its charger automatically as well. 
 
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 The autopilot features are on par with some of the most advanced on the road today, but they don’t amount to a “self-driving” car, Musk admitted. “The car can do almost anything. But it is at this stage, it’s still what we call autopilot as opposed to autonomous. So even though the car is capable of being autonomous … it’s not at the level of safety where you could just fall asleep and arrive at your destination.” 
 
 Thursday's Tesla event, held at 7 p.m. Pacific time in Hawthorne, California, got off to an awkward start when USA Today published a story about it more than an hour before the event actually began—then unpublished it without telling readers what had happened. It appeared the paper may have inadvertantly broken the company's embargo on the news, which was supposed to lift only after Musk took the stage. The snafu came days after Tesla's vice president of communications, Simon Sproule, left the company after just seven months on the job. 
 
 UPDATE, Oct. 10, 2014, 12:11 a.m.: Musk didn't mention the price of the new top-of-the-line P85D during the event, but reports are that it will not come cheap: The Street's Chris Ciaccia tweeted that it may start at $120,000 to $170,000. 
 
 
 
 The autopilot features, on the other hand, will not cost any extra, and are in fact have already been shipping with all Model S cars produced in the past two weeks. 
 
 UPDATE 2, Oct. 10, 2014, 9:34 a.m.: The new models are now available for order on the Tesla website, and the prices are not as high as the range cited above. The dual-motor all-wheel drive system adds $4,000 to the price of the two existing trim lines of the Model S, so that the 60D and 85D start at $75,000 and $85,000, respectively, before subtracting a $7,500 federal tax credit. The "tech package with autopilot" adds another $4,250, so that you can get a 60D with both all-wheel-drive and autopilot for under $80,000. 
 
 The high-performance P85D, meanwhile, starts at $95,000 before the rebate, and dual-motor and autopilot push it to $120,000. There are a few other options you can add, but I was unable to get the price any higher than $140,000. I am not sure where The Street's $170,000 figure came from. (I had previously embedded Ciaccia's tweet mentioning that price, but since it might be confusing, I've removed it.) 
 
 ||||| Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk unveiled the “D” on Thursday night, which stands for the ultra-powerful “dual-motor” in the new and improved Model S sedan. 
 
 The car looks the same from the outside, but it is radically improved. The acceleration is faster, the top speed is higher, and for the first time ever, the efficiency of the car actually increases, despite the increased mass of the motor. 
 
 But Musk said “there’s something else” about this new car: Autopilot. It's not quite a driverless car, but rather cruise control on steroids. The car can read speed-limit signs automatically and can even turn without hands on the wheel. 
 
 And you really need to see Autopilot to believe it. Watch this 90-second video, courtesy of SlashGear, and you'll be convinced you're looking at the future of automobiles. (Things really get crazy at the 0:38 mark, when the driver engages Autopilot.) 
 
 
 
 After Thursday night’s super-brief event, Musk invited journalists to hop into the new dual-motor Model S and try out all the new features. There was even a long strip so drivers could test out the exhilarating power of the car, which can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. That’s faster than most high-end Italian car offerings from Lamborghini and Bugatti. 
 
 The highlight of the test drive was the autopilot, which uses 360-degree long-range ultrasonic radar that establishes a “protective cocoon” around the car, protecting it from obstacles in the road — even small moving objects, like children or dogs. 
 
 Musk insists the car is not autonomous, but it will obey speed limits, steer out of the way of barriers, and even self-park itself in your garage — with you out of the car. You can even summon the car to your location, and it will drive up to meet you, turning on any music or air-conditioning preferences you might have. 
 
 Learn more about the new Model S. ||||| After weeks of speculation, Tesla Motors unveiled an automated driving system designed to enhance visibility, prevent accidents and even allow vehicles to park themselves. Photo: Getty 
 
 HAWTHORNE, Calif.— Tesla Motors Inc. TSLA +2.11% Tesla Motors Inc. U.S.: Nasdaq $235.34 +4.87 +2.11% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 3.99M AFTER HOURS $234.50 -0.84 -0.36% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 144,484 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap $28.72 Billion Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee $415,848 10/21/14 Daimler Sells Its 4% Stake in ... 10/21/14 Michigan Governor Signs Anti-T... 10/10/14 Tesla Aims to Leapfrog Rivals More quote details and news » TSLA in Your Value Your Change Short position unveiled an all-wheel-drive version of its Model S luxury electric car and an automated driving system designed to prevent accidents and even allow vehicles to park themselves. 
 
 The new autopilot features rely on a combination of radar, sonar and cameras that are able to recognize stop signs, pedestrians and highway barriers. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the self-driving features are already being installed in current production vehicles. 
 
 Related Video Investors eye Tesla, GoPro and Market Vectors-Coal ETF stock Friday morning. WSJ's Chris Dieterich joins Simon Constable on the News Hub to discuss. Photo: Getty 
 
 Tesla would begin delivering in December its top-of-the-line model equipped with twin electric engines, one for front-wheel drive and another for the rear wheels. Such all-wheel-drive configurations allow for better road handling, improves efficiency and boosts power and acceleration. Other models with all-wheel-drive will follow next year. 
 
 Amid cheers from Tesla owners on hand at Thursday’s unveiling, Mr. Musk said the dual-engine system takes slightly more than three seconds to go from a standing start to 60 miles an hour. The dual motor version of the Model S P85 would cost about $120,000 and be an about $14,600 option for other vehicles. 
 
 He also said the new autonomous driving feature will create “a protective cocoon around the vehicle” aimed at warning of impending collisions. The goal, he said, is for a driver to “step out of the car and have it park itself in your garage.” A technology package with autopilot adds about $4,250 to the price of a Model S. 
 
 The product announcements came at a glitzy event here next to the company’s design studio, attended by nearly 3,000 Tesla owners, members of the media and other guests. 
 
 The automated driving features won’t make Tesla’s models fully autonomous, but Mr. Musk said the company was able to “bring it to market faster” than it had previously expected. 
 
 Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla Motors, on April 22. REUTERS 
 
 Drivers will get visual and sound warnings of an impending crash, and the car’s computers will attempt to take evasive action. Drivers will still be able to overcome the automated maneuvers. 
 
 Other auto brands including Mercedes-Benz, Acura and Audi NSU.XE +0.17% Audi AG Germany: Xetra €574.95 +0.95 +0.17% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 4 P/E Ratio 6.02 Market Cap €24.38 Billion Dividend Yield 0.70% Rev. per Employee €696,072 10/17/14 Infiniti QX60 Is a Beast of Su... 10/17/14 European Car Sales Rally Again 10/14/14 Daimler Chucks Off Cash as Car... More quote details and news » NSU.XE in Your Value Your Change Short position have added new features that put the vehicle in control for short periods and the auto industry is shifting toward using these technologies to augment highway driving and parking. 
 
 Tesla’s system employs forward-looking radar to “see through” snow, fog, sand and other conditions that restrict the view of drivers. In addition, Mr. Musk said “long-range ultrasonic sonar” can detect “a small child or even a dog” in danger of being struck by the car. 
 
 Underscoring Tesla’s brand and environmental credentials, the company did something that few auto companies would probably contemplate. Attendees at the event were allowed to examine and order from a new line of Tesla handbags, cellphone covers and other items that sported the Tesla logo and are made from excess leather recycled from its Northern California assembly plant. 
 
 Drivers test the new Tesla 'D' model in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 2014. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images 
 
 Write to Andy Pasztor at andy.pasztor@wsj.com ||||| "The D" touted by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is here, and it's a dual motor, all-wheel-drive sedan with mind-bending performance numbers. 
 
 The improvements build on the company's current Model S, offering better traction, more driving range and futuristic automated features. And some serious speed. 
 
 Model S sedans equipped with Tesla's 85 kWh battery pack and the dual-motor all-wheel-drive system will be able to go from zero to 60 miles an hour in just 3.2 seconds. That puts it in the same league as high-performance cars including the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Mercedes-Benz E63. 
 
 To reach those speeds, the cars will have three driver-selectable settings: "Normal," Sport" and "Insane." 
 
 The car will have slightly more driving range on a full charge than the two-wheel-drive version. That means that with an 85 kWh battery pack the all-wheel-drive car will go 275 miles instead of 265 with rear-wheel-drive car. 
 
 Tesla is also adding semi-automomous driving features to its cars that will allow owners to leave some of the driving to the car's on-board computers. The features will come standard, and the automaker has been building them into cars on the assembly line for the past two weeks. 
 
 These systems use sensors and cameras to help keep the car in its lane on highways while maintaining a safe following distance behind cars ahead. 
 
 The car will be able to automatically change lanes while avoiding other vehicles when the driver uses the turn signal. It will also change the car's speed automatically to adjust to different speed limits as determined by cameras that read speed limit signs. 
 
 While using these "autopilot" features, drivers will not be required to keep their hands on the steering wheel. 
 
 The car will be able to park itself and, when on private property, an owner will be able to summon the car. The car will also be able to connect with the owner's calendar so that it can be ready when needed. 
 
 Related: Car shopping tips for the modern world 
 
 With both the active driving features and all-wheel-drive systems, Tesla is matching technologies offered by other luxury automakers but adding additional features. Other automakers offer "active cruise control" systems but require a driver's hands to stay on the steering wheel. They also don't change lanes automatically. 
 
 Tesla's all-wheel-drive system provides added traction but also added performance efficiency. 
 
 Related: Cool cars from the Paris Motor Show 
 
 Until now, the Model S has been a strictly rear-wheel-drive car. All-wheel-drive is commonly offered by Tesla's luxury car competitors including Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac and Jaguar. 
 
 Particularly among luxury car brands, all-wheel-drive is considered a necessity to be competitive in major northeastern markets. About three quarters of luxury cars sold in northern states have all-wheel-drive, according to data from the automotive Web site Edmunds.com. 
 
 Tesla (TSLA)'s shares were down 5% early Friday. 
 
 Even without all-wheel-drive, used Tesla Model S cars currently re-sell for almost as much as new cars. Consumer Reports has hailed it as the best model it has ever tested -- although the magazine later noted the car did suffer from a few reliability issues -- and it won Motor Trend's Car of the Year award in 2012.
– Tesla's newly unveiled version of its electric car is earning headlines that include phrases such as "the future of driving" (Business Insider). Much of the buzz centers on the vehicle's automated driving system—it falls short of being considered a self-driving car, explains CEO Elon Musk, but it comes pretty close in some ways, reports the Wall Street Journal. The vehicles have radar, sonar, and cameras that allow them to detect trouble and evade a crash on their own, adjust speed automatically, and even self-park. “You'll be able to step out of the car and have it park itself in your garage," promises Musk. Also of note: This new "D" line of its Model S sedans will have two motors (the "D" stands for "dual") and all-wheel drive, and its ability to go from zero to 60 in 3.2 seconds "put[s] it in a class with the quickest production cars on the road," writes Will Oremus at Slate. As with the previous Teslas, all this comes at a price: The 60D model starts at $75,000, the 85D at $85,000, and the high-performance P85D at $120,000. Drivers of the latter model can choose a performance setting of "normal," "sport," or "insane," notes CNNMoney. The company let car writers take the new Ds for a spin, and the reviews seem universally positive in terms of both automotive power and whiz-bang gadgetry. But that price? "Now that it's re-established its position as the true innovator in the auto industry, maybe Tesla can go back to work on building a wonderful electric car more of us can take home," writes Alex Davies at Wired.