Tesla Model S and X Signature Series Are the Farewells They Were Promised

This is apparently the “honorable discharge” Elon Musk hinted at for Tesla’s trailblazing luxury sedan and SUV.

Although we already knew that production of the venerable Tesla Model S sedan and the Model X SUV were officially coming to a close thanks to Elon Musk’s prior announcement of an “honorable discharge” for Tesla’s long-running models, we weren’t quite sure how honorable that discharge would be. Now, according to reports from various Tesla insiders, we’re getting a better idea of what to expect, namely that Tesla’s planning to send its luxury models off with a gold-trimmed limited run Signature Series editions of both vehicles.

News of the models broke on X by, among others, Ryan McCaffrey, a senior executive editor at IGN and host of Ride the Lighting, a Tesla-centric podcast. In his post, McCaffrey dished details of the Model S and Model X Signature Series finales that will be limited to 350 units in all, with the largest share being the Model S Signature edition at 250 slated to be produced. The bad news for anyone who wants one? Unless you got an email invite to purchase one, you’re probably going to be out of luck.

The Signature Difference

What do you get for the Signature sendoff? Not too much according to McCaffrey’s post (that presumably came from someone inside Tesla or with knowledge of the packages) besides a number of trim-centric updates. The key feature of the outgoing Model S and X Signature editions will be their Garnet Red paint schemes with gold badging, including the signature Tesla “T” on the hood and the Plaid badge on the rear of each vehicle. These will also get a pair of black mirror caps and the possibility of special Signature logos on them, but that’s yet to be confirmed. The door handles on the Model S will be body-colored, but the Model X Signature Edition will reportedly make do with its standard door handles.

The Model S Signature will get carbon-ceramic brakes with gold calipers, and the X will get standard red calipers as part of its Plaid packaging. Over those brakes will be a set of 21-inch wheels on the Model S and 22-inchers for the Model X. Their color wasn’t stated, but it’s safe to assume they will either be finished in black or gold.

Inside is expected to be a set of “Signature” marked door sills, gold-colored Plaid puddle lights, and a special interior lighting sequence. The interior materials will be made from white Alcantara, while gold Plaid seat badges are matched by the gold piping to help visually separate the front and back sections of the front seats. Additionally, the Model X Signature edition will use the six-seat interior configuration, and the Model S will retain its five-seater design. Sadly, there won’t be a rear jump seat in these final Model S examples, despite the callback of that Garnet Red paint.

As you gaze away from the Yoke-style steering wheel, a Signature dash badge with a unique number plate with the build number of your S or X will reportedly be added as well.

Both the S and X Signature Editions will come standard with the Luxe Package, which means they’ll come with Full-Self Driving (Supervised), free lifetime Supercharging, and four years of premium maintenance and protection. Finally, these owners will receive a Signature Series key fob for their special and final editions of the two vehicles that made Tesla what it is today.

Pricing wasn’t discussed by McCaffrey, but according to a post at the Tesla Owners Austin site, expect a price just south of $160,000 for the Model X Signature Edition, with the Model S expected to be somewhere around $5,000 south of that number. Those prices represent a roughly $30,000 hike over present pricing, which is a pretty huge markup for what amounts to a trim package. But they should become something of a collector's item given the significance of both models as trailblazing EVs, with the Model S winning our 2013 MotorTrend Car of the Year, the first-ever all-electric model to win the award. McCaffrey did say that a celebration event centered around the Model S and X is expected in May and “fittingly at sunset.”

The location of the sendoff event wasn’t revealed, but many speculate that it will be at the Fremont, California, facility where the two Tesla siblings have been manufactured. Everything makes for a decent enough farewell to the two vehicles that proved to the world that Tesla was a force to be reckoned with as a serious automotive manufacturer. That is, until Musk decided he wanted to build robots instead.