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Electric vs. ICE Showdown: Tesla Model X Drag Races Ferrari F430 Spider

When Ferrari brought the F430 to the supercar scene back in 2004, all the motoring journos were waxing lyrical about it. The same happened when Tesla released the Model X all-electric crossover in 2015. The question is, which is the faster machine in a straight line: the newcomer or the senior citizen?
Tesla Model X P90D Ludicrous vs. Ferrari F430 Spider 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
Our friends at Drag Times have posed the same question and the answer is... uhm, nope, I won’t give you any spoilers. You have to watch the video and see what’s what for yourself. But first, how do these fundamentally different machines stack up on paper?

In the blue corner, we have a Tesla Model X P90D with the Ludicrous add-on. The creme de la creme of the Model X lineup tips the scales at a whopping 5,271 pounds (or 2,390 kilograms), has seating for seven adults, fancy Falcon Wing rear doors, two electric motors, all-wheel-drive, and nauseating performance.

According to Tesla Motors, you’re good for 3.8 seconds to 60 mph (96 km/h). By engaging Ludicrous mode, the sprint takes 3.2 seconds, on to a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). With 762 horsepower (772 PS) and an earth-shattering 967 Nm (713 lb-ft) of torque on tap, it seems like the gauntlet has been thrown down.

In the red corner, we have a Ferrari F430 Spider, which is a little heavier than its Berlinetta-style counterpart. Nevertheless, the Capristo exhaust system and the high-flow catalytic converters counterbalance the additional fat over the hard top.

Thanks to the performance-oriented modifications listed beforehand, the Ferrari F430 Spider featured in the drag racing video below weighs less than 3,351 pounds (1,520 kilograms) and churns out more than 483 horsepower (490 PS) and 343 lb-ft (465 Nm) of twist. That’s enough firepower for a stint to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 193 miles per hour (311 kilometers per hour).

The question still remains: who will win this electric versus internal combustion showdown? Place your bets!

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

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.
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