This carwow drag race brings together very different vehicles in the guise of a sporty electric crossover and a sporty wagon. The contenders are Tesla's perennially impressive Model Y Performance and Audi's often overlooked RS 4 Avant, which is due for replacement.
Markus Duesmann, the big kahuna at Audi, recently confirmed that odd numbers are in for combustion-engined vehicles. The next-generation A4 will be fully electric, whereas the A4 of today will be replaced by the A5 series. In other words, the RS 5 Avant is coming with plug-in hybrid assistance for its twin-turbocharged V6.
Codenamed EA839, the 2.9-liter mill produces 450 metric ponies at 5,700 revolutions per minute and 600 Nm from 1,900 all the way to 5,000 spinnies. In old money, that's 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet. Most of those resources are channeled to all four wheels by a ZF-supplied automatic transmission and the Ingolstadt-based automaker's trademark quattro all-wheel drive.
Tipping the scales at roughly 1,745 kilograms (3,847 pounds), the B9-generation RS 4 Avant in the featured clip is rocking Jodie Kidd behind the wheel. The much heavier Model Y Performance weighs 1,997 kilograms (4,403 pounds) according to Mat Watson. Be that as it may, the Tesla is more powerful and torquier to boot.
With 527 ps and 660 Nm (520 horsepower and 487 pound-feet) at its disposal, the American automaker's crossover also has the advantage of generating peak torque pretty much instantly. That's the magic of electric motors as opposed to internal combustion engines, which need the appropriate revs to really come alive.
In a straight line, on a rather damp runway, the Model Y Performance launches like nobody's business. Capable of hitting 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) as opposed to 290 kilometers per hour (180 miles per hour) for the RS 4 Avant, the Tesla crosses the finish line neck and neck with the German station wagon.
carwow recorded 12.4 seconds for each vehicle, which is pretty darn impressive by all accounts, especially on this particular surface and in this particular weather. Mat and Jodie then duke it out with rolling starts from 30 and 50 miles per hour (48 and 80 kilometers per hour). Once again, the longer legs of that Audi made a world of difference. Unless the automatic box of the RS 4 Avant is in its standard setting, which makes it a bit lazy.
For the final challenge, Mat and Jodie performed an emergency braking test in which the RS 4 Avant showed its mettle by the smallest of margins. Low weight favors shorter stopping distances, but do bear in mind that your tires and brakes have big says in this regard as well.
On that note, which one floats your boat more? The cool and ridiculously quick Model Y Performance or the somewhat sedately styled yet athletic RS 4 Avant?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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