The Porsche Taycan Turbo S has done a lot of drag racing since it came out. We've seen it compared against all kinds of cool cars, like a Tesla or a new 911 Turbo, but never one of those super-rare hybrid hypercars.
The McLaren P1 is one of those cars you keep in a weather-proof garage and spend $10,000 every time it needs to be washed. Basically, it's hypercar royalty, along with the LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder. We know it's fast, but rarely have we seen it going up against top-notch EVs.
The P1 is powered by McLaren's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, but is also assisted by electricity. Its maximum output of 916 horsepower grants it a power-to-weight ratio of 615 hp per ton, something which the Porsche has no chance of matching.
But we have seen these modern EVs pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. The Turbo S version of the Taycan delivers up to 761 horsepower for short bursts of acceleration. Its twin motors give it more torque than the hypercar, but its power-to-weight ratio is only 321 hp per ton.
Given a long-enough runway, the McLaren will always win, since it has a much higher top speed. But, this epic drag race from Lovecars shows the electric Porsche is almost too fast. It rockets off the line and secures a commanding lead. The P1 only barely catches up for a close photo finish.
Considering the price gap between these two is huge, everybody should be happy with that outcome. But considering you're unlikely to ever see a P1 in the real world, the Taycan Turbo S is all set to dominate Europe's roads.
This drag race reminds us of how cool car companies like to make halo cars like these every decade or so. The Carrera GT was in 2003 and the 918 Spyder in 2013. We're not saying there's going to be an EV supercar from Porsche in 2023, but the people who worked on the Taycan do insinuate some technology was left out.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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