Franz von Holzhausen’s Model S Plaid Signature Series Gets Detailed & Paint Protection (PPF)

When Tesla builds only 250 examples of anything, the automotive world pays attention, and the Model S Plaid Signature Series is no ordinary limited run. Unveiled in 2026 as the true send-off for the Model S nameplate, Tesla is closing out fourteen years of production with just 250 numbered Signature units (alongside 100 Model X Signature SUVs), each finished exclusively in a deep Garnet Red unavailable on any other current Tesla.

This particular example carries extra weight: it’s VIN #001, the very first Model S Plaid Signature to come off the line, and it belongs to Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief Designer and the man most responsible for how the Model S actually looks and feels. When the person who drew the car chooses where to have his own personal #001 protected, it says something about the standard he expects. It’s also a deliberate callback to the original 2012 Model S Signature launch cars, bookending the era that first proved an electric sedan could out-accelerate supercars costing multiples of its price.

Underneath the gold badging, white Alcantara interior, and individually numbered dash plate, the Signature keeps everything that makes the Plaid one of the most attractive performance EVs on sale: a tri-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain producing 1,020 horsepower, a 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 1.99 seconds, a quarter mile in the low nine-second range, and a 200 mph (322 km/h) top speed backed by carbon-ceramic brakes with gold calipers built to take repeated hard stops on track. That’s a genuinely capable track car wearing a four-door luxury sedan’s body, and with Tesla winding down Model S production entirely as Fremont shifts toward Optimus manufacturing, these 250 cars are about as close as it gets to the final Model S Plaids that will ever roll off the line. A car this rare, this fast, and this final needs protection that matches its status from the day it leaves the dealership.

XPEL Ultimate Plus PPF: Shielding a Paint Job Tesla Will Never Make Again

Garnet Red exists on exactly one Tesla model, for exactly 250 cars, and once this run sells out, it isn’t coming back. That reality makes paint protection film (PPF) non-negotiable rather than optional. We apply full-vehicle XPEL Ultimate Plus, an 8-mil self-healing urethane film backed by a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, across every painted panel: hood, fenders, doors, roof, mirrors, and rear quarters. Minor scuffs and swirl marks melt away with heat instead of scarring the surface permanently, and the film absorbs rock chips and road debris that would otherwise chip straight through to bare metal on a finish that can’t be touched up with a factory paint pen.

For a car this limited, Ultimate Plus is the difference between a Signature Series that still looks factory-fresh in ten years and one that starts showing its age after a single freeway commute.

XPEL Prime XR Plus Nano-Ceramic Tint: Keeping the Cabin Cool and the Range Honest

Next, we wrap the glass in full-vehicle XPEL Prime XR Plus, XPEL’s flagship nano-ceramic window film. It blocks up to 98% of infrared heat and better than 99% of UV radiation, which matters enormously on a car with the Model S’s expansive glass roof sitting in Southern California sun. Furthermore, the film is a great addition to any vehicle with a glass roof, not just Teslas. It’s a perfect solution to keep that gorgeous view unrestricted, all the while keeping the cabin much cooler than without it. And for most of our clients, this is the perfect choice for all side windows alongside the roof.

Because the film is non-metallic, it won’t interfere with the Signature’s sensors, connectivity, or the yoke-equipped cockpit’s electronics. On an EV, that heat rejection isn’t just a comfort upgrade: a cooler cabin means the climate system draws less from the battery to hold temperature, which helps protect the Signature’s roughly 309-mile (497 km) EPA-estimated range on hot days instead of quietly eating into it every time the AC kicks on. And trust us, you want to have this installed on your car in any geographical location apart from Greenland. And we’d say even there, it would be a nice-to-have addition.

Professional-Grade Ceramic Coating: Locking In the Finish

The final step is a professional-grade ceramic coating applied directly over the PPF. Ceramic bonds to the film at a molecular level, adding hydrophobic properties so water, brake dust, and Southern California road grime sheet off the surface instead of baking on. It deepens the Garnet Red’s gloss, adds real UV and chemical resistance on top of what the film already provides, and dramatically cuts down how often the car needs a full detail to hold onto that just-off-the-truck look. On a car this rare, that combination of protection and presentation isn’t a luxury add-on; it’s the entire point of bringing it to us in the first place.

Bring Your Model S Signature Series In

Tesla’s own Chief Designer trusted us with his personal #001 build, and that’s about as strong an endorsement as a shop can ask for. Whether you were one of the invited buyers who claimed one of the other 249 Signature Series build slots the moment the email landed, or you’re driving a standard Model S Plaid and want your car protected to the same standard Franz holds his to, this is exactly the kind of build we love putting our hands on. If you own a Model S Plaid Signature, or any Plaid you want treated like one, bring it to our Los Angeles, CA facility for a full XPEL Ultimate Plus PPF wrap, Prime XR Plus tint, and professional-grade ceramic coating before you put it back on the road or take it out for a track day.

We are here for all your paint correction & paint protection needs. In the meantime,e take a look at the finished pristine product in the gallery below and don’t hesitate to contact us for a free paint inspection and quote.