Christmas Presents: How to unlock two new holiday easter eggs in your Tesla [Video]

Tesla Motors [NASDAQ: TSLA] has unveiled a series of Easter Eggs over the past few years. And now... it looks like Elon Musk and his team have some extra-special surprises for Tesla owners this holiday season. However, in order to celebrate the Christmas spirit, you have to know where to look — and precisely how to unlock these hidden Tesla Easter Eggs. There are two included within the latest software update. One is an inside reference to Musk's other company SpaceX, and, yet another will turn the Model X into the coolest Christmas display in town.

Above: Santa making a special visit to the Tesla Factory in Fremont, CA last year (Twitter: @JLindhardsen)

As reported in Electrek*, "CEO Elon Musk added an Easter Egg to jokingly ship your car to Mars on SpaceX’s Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) – something Musk revealed in September as part of his plans to colonize Mars. Musk unveiled a new rocket booster and interplanetary spacecraft that SpaceX, his other company, is working on. The vehicles will be able to lift 100 people and tons in cargo into earth’s orbit and then refuel before going on a trip to Mars. Technically, he could be sending Tesla vehicles also – which is why there’s a new Easter Egg in Tesla vehicles enabled by entering “Mars” as an ‘access code’ (holding the ‘T’ button)." To watch the Mars Easter Egg and some more features included within the new software update, watch the video below as well...

Top: An overview of some new features from the latest software update including the Mars Easter Egg; Bottom: Left, you’ll find yourself on Mars with Tesla’s map app showing the red planet along with Curiosity, NASA’s martian robot; Right, the easter egg changes the rendering of your Model S or X into SpaceX’s Interplanetary Transport System with its solar arrays deployed (Image: Electrek* via Jason Hughes)

In addition to Tesla's otherworldly Easter Egg, "Tesla made its own [holiday] light show using the Model X and its auto-presenting front doors and Falcon Wing doors. To activate the new Easter Egg, Model X owners on the 8.0.2.50.15 software can enter 'holidays' [or 'ModelXmas'] as an ‘access code’ (holding the ‘T’ button for 5 seconds). The show will start after you exit the car, close all doors and press the lock button on the key fob. Tesla warns that the show 'requires 6-feet of space above and around the vehicle.'” Check out a video of the new Easter Eggs unlocked and the original video (featuring the light show) that Tesla made last year for Christmas...

Above: Top, the "Merry Model X" holiday light show activated via Easter Egg from most recent software update; Bottom, Last year's Tesla video previewing this year's Easter Egg (Source: Electrek* via DragTimes and AutoFreaksTV)

And for those that don't remember, "For Christmas last year, Tesla programmed the lights and Falcon Wing doors on three Model Xs to do a light show to the sound of the Wizards in Winter by Trans-Siberian Orchestra... [as] Wizards in Winter by Trans-Siberian Orchestra has been a popular instrumental track for light shows since the 2005 internet phenomenon of Carson Williams’s 16,000 lights synchronized to the music." Very cool. But that's not all — it even looks like this Tesla owner created his own DIY Menorah light show on his Model S to celebrate Hanukah today...

Above: And a DIY Happy Hanukah Menorah display for those celebrating today (Source: NBC Bay Area)

In any event, be sure to enjoy the holiday season, we've got more treats coming tomorrow on our blog — so be sure to check back after you've opened your presents under the Christmas tree.

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*Source: Electrek / Electrek