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The Tesla Model S is now the fastest car in the world – because you can rent it from Hertz

tesla model s unintended acceleration complaint filed with nhtsatesla nhtsa
The Tesla Model S can be considered the fastest car in the world, as it is now a rental car from Hertz. Image used with permission by copyright holder
Rental cars are the fastest cars in the world, according to an old automotive adage. That’s because once you’re behind the wheel of a car that you don’t personally own, you can operate the thing at full throttle everywhere you go without fear of repercussions. And now the Tesla Model S can join the ranks of fastest car in the world, too, as Hertz is now offering it as a rental car. How grand.

Are you one of the millions of Tesla Model S fans dying to get behind the wheel but don’t want to plunk down the money for a test drive at your local Tesla dealer? We’ll, if you have $400 to burn for the day, you can now rent a Model S from Hertz.

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That’s right. For a cool $400 you can get behind the wheel of an 85 kWh Model S for a single day through Hertz Dream Cars rental program.

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Although the 85 kWh Model S has an EPA-rated 265-mile range, Hertz will only allow you to go 75 miles for that near-half grand. Should you exceed 75 miles, you’ll be charged $0.49 for each additional mile. Push the Model S to its range limits and you’ll be looking at a bill for an extra $93.10, which isn’t too bad.

Other media outlets are reporting that the Hertz is offering the 416-horsepower 85 kWh Performance model for that price. Don’t believe them. A quick look at the Hertz site reveals that the Hertz Tesla Model S is rated to go 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds and only puts out 362 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.

We’re now imagining all the silliness we could accomplish with a rented Model S. Hopefully, the Hertz rental agreement doesn’t have a “you break it, you bought it clause.”

If you rented a Tesla Model S for the day, what would you do with it? Tell us in the comments section below.

Nick Jaynes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…
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