Meet the Dark Knight—a Brooding, Souped-up Tesla Model S

The US$104,990 three-motor 2023 Tesla Model S Plaid Edition is among the fastest cars in the world, able to reach 60 miles per hour in just two seconds. It puts out 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque.

The Plaid is so quick it leaves its drivers gasping for breath, but can the car be improved? Unplugged Performance, a tuning shop in Hawthorne, Calif., that launched in 2013, thinks it can. So was born the Dark Knight, a tweaked Model S-APEX Plaid that has been extensively reworked to better hug the pavement. It sells for approximately US$230,000, including the donor car. But the many options could make it costlier.

The powertrain stays the same, but the car gets a 19-piece carbon fibre wide body kit that allows it to wear big 21-inch, lightweight forged wheels. Airflow is improved with “bargeboard” bodywork in front of the front wheels, a technique adapted from Formula One. Also directing air is the company’s Autobahn front carbon-fibre diffuser. The car meets the world with a sinister satin-black finish, featuring more exposed carbon fibre.

The car’s centre of gravity is lowered via a kit, and there’s a three-way adjustable rear sway bar and a rear-mounted GT strut tower brace. Also part of the suspension build are a series of billet-aluminium adjustable control arms that cut weight, increase strength, and allow some fine adjustments. For those choosing optimum track performance, there are full-race coilover suspension choices available. The Dark Knight needs to stop, so there are carbon ceramic brakes all around, cooled via a ducting system.

The interior was designed in collaboration with von Holzhausen, a company created by Vicki von Holzhausen (married to Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen) that specialises in vegan leather products, including handbags. The tough-wearing interior fabric is in Serrano red and made from bamboo.

The Dark Knight interior uses vegan leather from von Holzhausen.
Unplugged Performance

Unplugged also makes over the other Teslas, including the S, 3, X, Y, and will also tweak the forthcoming Cybertruck. Brendan Sangerman, who directs marketing at Unplugged, says the Dark Knight is “the ultimate daily driver sports sedan.” Asked why the electric motors are left alone, he says, “You wouldn’t want it to be any faster than it is. Instead, we match the performance of the suspension and braking to the level of performance that the car already has.”

Sangerman emphasises that the Dark Knight is a bespoke product, and that the customer has a wide choice in the interior colors and fabrics. “We want customers to be very hands-on in the process,” he said. “If you tell us you like the interior shade in a specific Rolls-Royce, we can match it. Our parts catalog is pretty extensive.”

Unplugged is located close to the Tesla Design Center in Hawthorne. Its first Model S build was shown at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas in 2014, and the company exhibited at the Tokyo Auto Salon in 2016. Unplugged began putting its vehicles to the test on race tracks, and it set some EV records. It also won the exhibition class at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2021.

There will always be a market for performance tuners, and Unplugged has found a niche market in making some of the world’s most exciting EVs be just that little bit more intoxicating.

From late 2026 and into 2027, PONANT Explorations Group will base two ships in French Polynesia, offering travellers a choice between a culturally immersive classic and a far more exploratory deep-Pacific experience.

The move builds on more than 25 years of operating in the region with the iconic m/s Paul Gauguin, while introducing the expedition-focused Le Jacques Cartier to venture into lesser-known waters.

Together, the two vessels will cover all five Polynesian archipelagos — the Society, Tuamotu, Austral, Gambier and Marquesas Islands — as well as the remote Pitcairn Islands.

THE PAUL GAUGUIN: CULTURAL IMMERSION, POLYNESIAN STYLE

Long regarded as the benchmark for cruising in French Polynesia, m/s Paul Gauguin will remain based year-round in the region.

Renovated in 2025, the ship continues to focus on relaxed, culturally rich journeys with extended port stays designed to allow guests to experience daily life across the islands.

A defining feature of the onboard experience is the presence of the Gauguins and Gauguines — Polynesian hosts who share local traditions through music, dance and hands-on workshops, including weaving and craft demonstrations.

The atmosphere is deliberately intimate and internationally minded, catering to travellers seeking depth rather than distance.

Across the 2026–27 seasons, the ship will operate 66 departures, primarily across the Society Islands, Tuamotu and Marquesas, with select voyages extending to Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

LE JACQUES CARTIER: EXPLORATION AT THE EDGE

Le Jacques Cartier introduces a more adventurous dimension to PONANT’s Polynesian offering, with itineraries focused on the least visited corners of the South Pacific.

The ship will debut three new “Discovery” itineraries, each 14 nights in length, which can also be combined into a single, extended 42-night voyage — the most comprehensive Polynesian itinerary currently available.

In total, the combined journey spans six archipelagos, 23 islands and the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory rarely included on cruise itineraries.

Unlike the Paul Gauguin’s cultural focus, Le Jacques Cartier centres on exploration.

Each day includes one guided activity led by local experts, with excursions conducted via tenders, local boats and zodiacs. Scuba diving is available on board, supported by a resident instructor.

Across the 2026–27 period, the ship will operate nine departures, offering a deliberately limited and low-impact presence in some of the Pacific’s most isolated communities.

THREE NEW DISCOVERY ITINERARIES

The new itineraries aboard Le Jacques Cartier include:

– Secret Polynesia: Unexplored Tuamotu, the Gambier Islands and the Austral Islands
– From Confidential French Polynesia to Pitcairn Island
– Polynesian Bliss: Marquesas and Tuamotu

Each voyage departs from Papeete, with prices starting from $15,840 per person.

SCOUTING THE PACIFIC’S MOST REMOTE COMMUNITIES

In preparation for the new itineraries, PONANT Explorations Group undertook extensive scouting across the Austral and Tuamotu Islands to develop activities in collaboration with local communities.

José Sarica, the group’s R&D Expedition Experience Director, worked directly with residents to design experiences including welcome ceremonies, cultural workshops and visits to marae, the region’s sacred open-air temples.

Six new ports of call have been confirmed as part of this process, spanning both the Tuamotu and Austral archipelagos.

SIX NEW PORTS OF CALL CONFIRMED

New stopovers include:

– Mataiva, known for its rare mosaic lagoon
– Hikueru, home to one of the largest lagoons in the Tuamotus
– Makemo, noted for its red-footed boobies and frigatebirds
– Raivavae, famed for its crystal-clear lagoon pools
– Tubuai, rich in marae and spiritual heritage
– Rurutu, known for limestone caves and seasonal humpback whale sightings

A DUAL EXPERIENCE, ONE DESTINATION

By pairing its long-established cultural voyages with expedition-led exploration, PONANT Explorations Group is positioning French Polynesia not as a single experience, but as two distinct journeys — one grounded in tradition and comfort, the other pushing into the furthest reaches of the Pacific.

For travellers seeking either immersion or discovery, the South Pacific is about to feel both familiar and entirely new.