The Designer Behind the Tesla Model S Brought #001 to Us
Franz von Holzhausen is the man who drew the car that changed the auto industry. As Tesla’s Chief Designer, he shaped every curve of the Model S, the vehicle that proved electric cars could be beautiful, fast, and worth wanting. So when he brought his personal Model S Plaid Signature Edition to Unplugged Performance’s AutoSpa, it meant something.
This was not just another car on the schedule. It was #001 out of 250. The first one made.
The Car That Changed Everything
When the original Model S launched in 2012, it rewrote what people thought an electric car could be. It was the first car that made range anxiety irrelevant, the first to prove a four-door sedan could outrun a sports car, and the first to make luxury EV ownership feel genuinely aspirational.
The Model S Plaid took everything further. With three motors, over 1,000 horsepower, and a 0-60 time under 2 seconds, it is still one of the fastest production cars ever made. The Signature Edition added an extra layer. Limited to 250 units globally, it came with Garnet Red paint, a carbon fiber sport package, exclusive gold-accented badges, and a numbered identification plate unique to each car. Von Holzhausen’s unit, number 001, was the first built.
How the Model S Built Unplugged Performance
Unplugged Performance has been working with Tesla vehicles since the early days of the Model S. What started as performance upgrades and aerodynamic components evolved into one of the most recognized Tesla-focused shops in the world. The Model S was the car that defined what UP is.
Over the years, UP has built race-prepped Model S vehicles, developed body kits and suspension systems specifically tuned for Tesla’s platform, and partnered with XPEL to offer factory-level paint protection and tinting for owners who want to keep their investment in flawless condition. The AutoSpa division was built for exactly this kind of car.
Having the designer of the Model S trust UP with his personal Signature Edition is not a small thing. It reflects the reputation UP has earned within the Tesla community and beyond.
What Makes the Signature Edition Different
The Signature Edition is not a package you can option today. Tesla produced 250 of them at launch to mark the start of Plaid production, and that was it. Each one came with a specific configuration: Garnet Red paint, a carbon fiber sport package including the front nose, rear diffuser, and spoiler, a set of 22-inch forged wheels, and gold-accented exterior and interior badging.
The interior carried the Signature Edition identity further with the gold lattice Plaid badge embroidered into the sport seat headrests and mounted at the door sills. These details are subtle to anyone who does not know what they are looking at, and unmistakable to anyone who does.
Number 001 carries the added significance of being the first car off the production line with that specification. For a vehicle that already occupies a specific place in automotive history, that distinction adds another layer.
What We Did at the AutoSpa
The AutoSpa package for this car included three services: XPEL ULTIMATE PLUS paint protection film, XPEL PRIME XR PLUS window tint, and a full ceramic coating application.
XPEL ULTIMATE PLUS is an 8-mil self-healing thermoplastic urethane film with a 10-year manufacturer warranty. It absorbs rock chips, road debris, and light abrasion without leaving a mark. On a Garnet Red paint finish that cannot be factory-ordered again, that protection is not optional. The film was applied in a full-wrap configuration, covering every painted panel including the hood, fenders, doors, roof, and rear quarter panels.
The window tint specified was XPEL PRIME XR PLUS, which blocks 98% of infrared heat and over 99% of UV radiation. The multi-layer ceramic construction keeps the cabin temperature controlled without changing the look of the glass from outside. On a vehicle with a large panoramic roof, that thermal performance is meaningful for daily use.
The ceramic coating was applied over the PPF as a final layer of protection and gloss enhancement. Ceramic bonds to the film surface at a molecular level, adding hydrophobic properties that cause water and contaminants to sheet off rather than bond to the paint. The result is a finish that is easier to maintain and holds its depth longer between details.
A Car Worth Protecting
There are not many Model S Plaid Signature Editions in the world, and there is only one number 001. The fact that the person who designed the car chose to bring it to Unplugged Performance for protection says something about what UP has built over the years and what the AutoSpa stands for.
If you have a Tesla you want to protect at that level, the AutoSpa team is available for consultations. Whether it is a full wrap, a partial front-end package, ceramic coating, or window tint, every job gets the same approach this one did.
