2020 Audi RS6 Does Its First Drag Race, Tesla Model 3 Gets Smashed

If you're not even a little bit excited about the arrival of a new RS6, you're either not into cars or a hardcore EV fan. Like the previous generation, this has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces a unique sound and sends power to a permanent AWD system.

The specs say it makes 600 horsepower and 800 Nm of torque, though that's not much of an increase over the old model. Audi has also made it into a mild hybrid to save fuel and lower emissions, though it's no Prius.

Most of the magic with this powertrain seems to be in the way the launch control works. Audi claims 0 to 100 kph (62mph) in 3.6 seconds, which would make it visibly slower than the E 63 and M5. However, the Tesla Model 3 is, on paper, faster as well.

The Model 3 Performance has proven more than a match for the RWD BMW M3, and in most cases easily took down the RS4 Avant. It's rated at about 450 horsepower from twin electric motors. Although the power delivery is almost instant, at what point does this overwhelm the Audi RS6? Never. Even with its best launch, Tesla never gets ahead of the Audi.

Of course, this kind of drag race seems a little silly when you consider the RS6 costs twice the money, partly because it's dripping with options. But since the Model 3 is becoming a common occurrence, at least the owners of these German performance wagons will rest easy knowing that their pride and joy won't lose any drag race.