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2014 Corvette Stingray meets Tesla Model S in drag strip showdown

They come from two different worlds and have little in common. The Tesla Model S P85 is the sportiest version of this paradigm-punching sedan from California, while the 2014 Corvette Stingray Z51 is a performance-enhanced version of Michigan's recently-updated sports car stalwart. The West Coast car seats five adults and eats electrons like Popeye eats spinach, the Easterner has two passenger places and, surprisingly, sips gasoline like one might bourbon. An attribute they do happen to share is extreme quickness. This similarity is all the excuse Drag Times needed to set the vehicles beside each other at the Palm Beach International Raceway for a bit of mano-a-mano quarter-mile combat. Fortunately enough, cameras were rolling for each of two bouts down the blacktop and the results recorded for our edification and enlightenment. The winner? We won't spoil it for you, but let's just say it's really, really close. How close? Scroll below and watch the video for yourself. Just be warned, the results may surprise you. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Tesla Model S sells 6,900 units in Q4, eyes top of the charts

Tesla Motors sold roughly 6,900 of its battery-electric Model S sedans during the last three months of 2013, making it the country's best-selling plug-in vehicle during the fourth quarter. The California-based automaker beat independent sales estimates by about 20 percent and increased its quarterly sales rate from the third quarter by about 25 percent. More notably, Tesla's fourth-quarter sales beat those of Nissan Leaf EV (6,534 units), and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug in (6,334). For the year, Tesla sold about 22,300 vehicles, putting it just behind the Volt's 23,094 vehicles and the Leaf's 22,610. Heck, Tesla sold more green cars last year than Honda, which moved about 20,600 battery-electric, hybrid and plug-in vehicles, combined. Investors were certainly happy with the news. Shares of TSLA were up around 16 percent in Tuesday trading, closing at $161.27. The news release was conveniently timed to change the story from the issues Tesla has regarding its wall chargers and what's believed to be their potential role in a garage fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said earlier today that more than 29,000 of Tesla's wall charger adapters were being recalled. You will find Tesla's press release on Q4 sales numbers below. Tesla Revenue Expected to Exceed Guidance by 20% in Fourth Quarter Sales Driven by Superlative Safety Record and Excellent Cold Weather Performance TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2014 PALO ALTO, Calif. – Tesla sales in the fourth quarter of 2013 were the highest in company history by a significant margin. With almost 6,900 vehicles sold and delivered, Tesla exceeded prior guidance by approximately 20%. A higher than expected number of cars was manufactured as a result of an excellent effort by the Tesla production team and key suppliers, particularly Panasonic. The two key drivers of demand were the superlative safety record of the Model S and great performance under extremely cold conditions. Safety Record Tesla remains the only manufacturer with a perfect safety record of zero deaths or serious, permanent injuries ever. Including the Roadster, Tesla vehicles have now been on the road for almost six years in 31 countries with almost 200 million miles driven to date. Despite dozens of high speed collisions, the driver and passengers have always been protected. This is Tesla's proudest achievement.

Watch Wired go hands-on with Tesla Model S 4.0

Our friends at Wired recently got their hands on the latest software release for the Tesla Model S. The 4.0 release adds a few interesting bits of functionality to the EV, including voice control for the navigation and telephone systems as well as Slacker Radio. Tesla employed Google voice-recognition software for the Model S, and Wired says the system is "far easier and more intuitive than most." High praise.
The update also adds another level of customization to the EV's steering wheel controls. The right knob now offers finer audio volume control while the left knob can be configured to handle everything from temperature setting to fan speed or even the opening and closing of the sunroof.
Wired also reports the 17-inch touch screen on the Model S now seems more responsive and that the update includes new graphical displays for the vehicle's range. Other nice tricks include revised throttle response and an adjustment to the vehicle's door handles - now owners need only approach their Model S for the door handles to pop out from their hiding places. You can check out the video below for a closer look.