Folks, you better strap in for this one, because we have a lot to unpack. We're about to witness a Tesla Cyberbeast drag race an all-american legend, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. But first, we're making a pit stop to several previous races between the Cyberbeast and a Porsche 911 Turbo S, a Hummer EV, and a Ford F-150 Raptor R.
The Tesla Cyberbeast price starts from $96,390 with a 2024 availability window. It has an estimated range of 320 miles or 515 kilometers with a top speed of 130 mph or 209 kph. It weighs 6,843 lbs. or 3,104 kg and has an 11,000 lbs. or 4,989 kilograms towing capacity.
The AWD version of the Cybertruck is cheaper, at $76,390, and while the advertised range is 340 miles or 547 kilometers, when you equip it with all-terrain tires, that goes down to 318 miles (511 kilometers). If you put it through the wringer and drive it at 40 mph (64 kph) on a 60% city/40% highway split, you can get up to 334 miles or 537.5 kilometers on this bad boy. That's 16 miles or almost 26 kilometers above the spec sheet.
The Cyberbeast has a tri-electric motor setup that delivers 845 horsepower (857 ps) and produces 686 lb-ft or 930 Nm of torque. This thing is known for going from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. In previous 1/4-mile battles, the Cyberbeast (11.2 seconds) has taken down other electric pickup adversaries like the Ford F-150 Raptor R (12.4 seconds) or the Hummer EV (12.0 seconds).
The Cyberbeast recently raced the godlike and divinely expensive ($230,400) Porsche 911 Turbo S that comes with a 3.7-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine capable of producing 640 hp with 690 lb-ft or 800 Nm of torque. The Turbo S beat the Tesla into submission in both drag and roll races. Now, let's see how an all-time American favorite performs against the fridge on wheels.
Photo: Throttle House
The RWD Corvette Z06 has the marvelous 5.5-liter NA V8 LT6 mid-mounted engine that produces 670 (679 ps) horsepower with 460 lb-ft or 624 Nm of torque. The 2024 model starts at $112,700, and provided you equip it with the Z07 Performance Package, it too can hit 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds, claims Chevrolet. However, the best part about the 'Vette Z06 is the engine sound, which is nothing short of an orchestral delight of the eardrums.
During the first 1/4-mile race, the Cyberbeast embarrassingly demolished the Corvette Z06 like a child's plaything. They went for a repeat, but the result didn't get any less painful for the V8 supercar. It couldn't even get close enough to matter.
Finally, the guys over at the Throttle House YouTube channel who organized this EV vs. ICE event went for a roll race to see if there's a difference. Finally, an event where the Corvette walked away with a grin of victory.
All in all, we can call it a tie. Elon's LEGO brick on wheels won the drag races, while the Corvette beat it in the roll race. The most exciting thing about this entire thing is that these two vehicles are so vastly different and unique that there were no losers on that track. It was a showdown between two icons that represent both the culmination of the past and the prospect of a bright future.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News