Franz von Holzhausen has spent 18 years shaping Tesla's lineup, and his latest project is not a concept sketch. It is chassis 001 of the Model S Plaid Signature Edition, the first of just 250 units built, and he has already sent it off for protection rather than tuning.
The car, priced from $159,420 and sold only through invite-only emails to select customers, marks the end of Model S production as Tesla knows it. Von Holzhausen skipped the dyno and took it to Unplugged Performance's Hawthorne, California shop for a full preservation job.
Gallery: Tesla Model S Plaid Signature Edition 001 By Unplugged Performance
The Signature Edition sits apart from a standard Tesla Signature Series Model S in both rarity and finish. Von Holzhausen's car wears Garnet Red paint, a custom color built as a tribute to the original Signature Red from June 2012, when the Model S line first launched.
Gold badging and matching gold brake calipers set the exterior apart further, while the cabin gets a full white leather treatment paired with the yoke steering wheel.
Under the skin, this Plaid keeps the tri-motor setup that produces 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque, good for a 1.99-second sprint to 60 mph and a 9.23-second quarter mile. With the Track Package fitted, top speed reaches 200 mph.
Why Unplugged Performance
Unplugged Performance built its reputation on Tesla performance parts, but this job skipped horsepower entirely. According to the release, the shop's Auto Spa team ran a full decontamination pass on every panel before applying any protective material.
The centerpiece is a complete wrap of paint protection film across the bodywork, layered under a ceramic coating that extends to painted trim and the wheel faces. The window film went in throughout the cabin for ultraviolet blocking and heat reduction.
The End Of An Era
The 250-unit Model S Plaid Signature run arrived alongside 100 Model X Plaid Signature units, delivered during a Fremont factory event in May 2026 that closed out both flagship nameplates. Tesla treated it as an end-of-line moment, inviting only select buyers rather than opening general orders.
Von Holzhausen's decision to protect his own car rather than modify it says plainly that this generation of Model S is done evolving and worth keeping exactly as built.
Motor1's Take: Von Holzhausen's choice to protect rather than modify makes the point that originality matters more than extra power. His car is being treated as a preserved example, not a rolling testbed. That stance will push collectors and owners toward preservation over tuning.
