With a quarter-mile time of 9.23 seconds, the Tesla Model S Plaid has been the king of quarter-mile since it debuted in 2021. As far as production cars go, that is. And, likely, this record will never be broken by a gasoline-powered vehicle.
But while high-performance production cars with ICE drivetrains are slowly but surely going into the history books, drag racers aren't yet ready to give up. If you think you saw one too many Dodge Challenger Demon vs Tesla Model S Plaid quarter-mile races, then get ready for another one. One that ends in a victory for the gas-fed Mopar.
Given that the Demon's official quarter-mile time is at 9.65 clicks, you're probably wondering how the supercharged Challenger can outgun the Plaid. Well, as is always the case, we're dealing with a beefed-up Dodge. One you should be familiar with because it belongs to Herman Young, known for documenting his drag racing exploits on his "Demonology" YouTube channel.
If you haven't heard about Herman and his Demon yet, let's just say that he's racing one of the most powerful Challengers out there. Sporting lots of mods and a healthy dose of nitrous, this Demon, affectionately called "Soul Snatcher," packs more than 1,100 horsepower. That's a bit more than the tri-motor setup of the Model S Plaid, officially rated at 1,020 horsepower.
But is it enough to overcome the Tesla's impressive torque and lightning-fast off-the-line sprint? Well, the video below provides the answer.
And if you're still here for the spoiler, the Challenger Demon led the race from start to finish and crossed the line a quarter-second quicker than the Model S Plaid. Specifically, the Mopar needed 9.06 seconds to cover the distance, while the Tesla driver ran the sprint in 9.31 clicks.
Based on this number, the Model S Plaid is likely completely stock and just a tad slower than the official 9.23-second benchmark.
All told, Demonology's Challenger is one heck of a Demon. But at the end of the day, all this video proves is that it takes a seriously beefed-up muscle car to defeat a high-performance EV on the 1320. An EV that was designed to be a daily driver.
Hit play to watch this exciting drag race, which took place at the Texas Motorplex unfold. The fun begins at the 5:00-minute mark.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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