Arizona man puts his Tesla Model S Plaid into launch mode and unsuspecting passengers only react one way
Published on Jan 03, 2026 at 7:11 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Dec 23, 2025 at 4:54 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
This Arizona man put his Tesla Model S Plaid into launch mode, and his unsuspecting passenger reacted in exactly the way you’d expect.
YouTuber Chillin’ With Chet wanted to demonstrate the car’s launch capabilities.
But how would some unsuspecting passengers react to this sudden burst of power?
Well, how would you react? That should give you some indication of where this is going.
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When this Tesla Model S Plaid went into launch mode, the passengers reacted in big ways
For those of us who are not part of the Tesla family, you might not be familiar with launch mode.
This is an acceleration feature available on Performance All-Wheel Drive models.
As the name suggests, it ‘launches’ the car.
No, not into space like this Roadster that SpaceX got its hands on.
Just launched forward on the road ahead.
Chillin’ With Chet wanted to give some of his friends over at Gruber Motor Company a taste of what launch mode looked like.
Their reactions are what you’d expect.
The first guy seemed overwhelmed almost instantly.
“Dude, my head is literally…I am literally lightheaded the entire time!” he exclaimed.
“From a Tesla guy, that’s the best reaction,” Chet replied.
The car ultimately hit 123mph, leaving the passengers stunned at its speed.
The general feeling described was of numbness and sweating.
Like being on a rollercoaster, essentially.
But if that sounds extreme, just wait until you see how this second passenger reacts.
This woman couldn’t handle it
Before launch mode had even been activated, this second passenger was nervous.
Because of her asthma, she was scared of passing out.
“Don’t make me go into medic mode,” Chet said teasingly.
The car had barely accelerated when she grabbed hold of his arm and begged him to stop.
She was visibly distressed in the aftermath, declaring it was ‘not fun’.
It’s evidently not for everyone.
To see the reactions for yourself, visit Chillin’ with Chet’s YouTube channel.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
