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McLaren 720S Drag Races Model S P100D Under Suboptimal Conditions

The Tesla Model S P100D and McLaren 720S drag raced on the DragTimes YouTube channel before. But that video got taken down because... it was illegal. So a rematch at a drag race was required.
McLaren 720S Drag Races Model S P100D Under Less Suboptimal Conditions 2 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
McLaren 720S Drag Races Model S P100D Under Suboptimal Conditions
The P100D was the undefeated drag racing champ when it came out, and it still gives Dodge's marketing people nightmares. However, supercars have gotten much better in the past few years. With its super-lightweight chassis and quick reactions, the McLaren 720S is easily the most entertaining one to watch.

Off the line, all-wheel-drive should give Tesla an advantage. However, it's nullified by the extra grip of the Florida racetrack and the extra weight of all those batteries. These are less than ideal conditions for both cars, as the 720S was slipping and the Tesla was at about 65% charge.

They did two runs. In the first, the McLaren jumps the red and gets a huge advantage. The second is done without launch control, so it's a good indication of what the supercar can normally do. The Model S is a bit quicker off the line, but then the output difference becomes more apparent.

We're talking a 588 horsepower sedan versus a 710 horsepower supercar, though it has been shown to have more at the dyno. The Tesla does have 920 lb-ft of torque going for it, but it has to overcome almost an extra ton of weight.

Price also needs to be taken into consideration, as you can buy two P100D for the price of a McLaren, making it an electric performance bargain. But considering it can beat a $500,000 Lamborghini, the 720S is also cheap, especially if you suffer from electric anxiety and enjoy the sound of a V8.

The channel is going to show a race between the 720S and a ZR1 Corvette, which got us all excited. But European exotics like the Ferrari 488 Pista or the 911 GT2 RS will be more interesting.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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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.
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