CARWOW'S 6-WAY DRAG RACE IS SET UP TO FIND THE FASTEST PERFORMANCE MODEL IN THE LINEUP.
Back when automakers were trying to decide on the move to electric propulsion, Elon Musk jumped the gun by a fair bit and unleashed Tesla Motors on the world. Fans of cars that live on dead dinosaur juice were vehemently against electric-powered cars, but over the years the battery-power cars have been getting better and better at an alarming rate. So much so that basic entry-level EVs that were created purely for running errands and dropping the kids off at school (not like that) have power and performance specs that rival even the best of today’s petrol-powered turbocharged hot hatches. While these cars are quick off the line, the EVs that have been created with speed and handling in mind are even quicker and they’re capable of producing ridiculous amounts of power and torque that translates to performance that can make even the most focused supercar look like it’s looking for parking. Tesla has led the charge (haha) for a while now with some of its production models being equipped with special drive modes that make amazing use of electric motors to result in some of the fastest series production cars around. The fastest in the lineup come from the Model S and Model X range and from the PD100 to the Plaid, and the ones that feature Ludicrous Mode have enough power and acceleration to peel your eyelids back during acceleration. There are other models in the Tesla lineup, but they’re not the ones that can make a boosted diesel truck driver cry. Mr Musk also has a bit of a sense of humour as seen in the model names that spell out the word ‘sexy’. This is from the Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y. Funny guy.
To try and find out which of the performance-based has the most electrifying (haha), Mat Watson and his Carwow crew and helpers assembled six Tesla variants on a typically dreary UK day to test them against each other in an old-fashioned heads-up drag race. The Model S in P100D-sped is a powerful contender and it features a pair of electric motors that combine to produce a very healthy power output of 494 kW with an equally powerful 950Nm of torque. As is the norm with EVs, there’s a fair bit of weight thanks to the large number of batteries needed to make it go forward. It weighs 2,100 kg. The Model X in P100D-spec is a little less powerful and also a bit heavier. In the Model X, the dual-electric motor setup combines to push out 398 kW with 755 Nm of torque and it weighs in at 2,500 kg. Also with the dual-motor setup is another Model S and Model X, both in Raven specification. Here they both share the same power and torque specifications; both have 572 kW and a stupendous torque rating of 1,140 Nm. The main change comes in the weights, the Model S Raven is lighter at 2,255 kg and the Model X Raven is 2,552 kg. The Plaid specification is the big daddy when it comes to Teslas, there’s heaps of power on tap, so much that they’ve been seen kicking serious ass on the drag strip while embarrassing turbocharged big block cars. When Plaid is in the name there are three electric motors in play, and that means a decent helping of more power. The Tesla Model S Plaid and the Tesla Model X Plaid also share the same power and torque output - 750 kW and 1,420 Nm. Again, it’s only the weight that differs, the S comes in at 2,190 kg and the X at 2,464 kg. The specs suggest that the Model S Plaid will be the fastest in this heads-up comparison, but is it?
Take a look at the YouTube video that the Carwow chaps put together to find out which of the various performance model Teslas are the quickest. To find out they assembled no less than six different models that have the most power and the best drag-race software. Which EV is the one that you'd spend your hard-earned money on, assuming the brand eve comes to SA ,that is: EVERY fast Tesla: DRAG RACE | carwow
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