Porsche Taycan 4S Drag Races Budget Performance EV, the Underdog Puts Up a Good Fight

MG4 EV XPOWER is a bit of both, for it promises very good performance on a budget. Revealed with much pomp in July 2023, the most powerful MG4 in production today develops 435 metric horses (429 horsepower), 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) of torque, and starts at £36,495 in the United Kingdom, a price that converts to 45,800 freedom eagles.

While that may seem like a lot for a small hatchback with plastic brake caliper covers, bear in mind the Brits pay something called value-added tax. 20 percent value-added tax is 1% more than the new and used car VAT in Germany and a lot more than the United States of America's nonexistent VAT.

Pictured on a runway in Thailand, the zero-emission MG is capable of hitting three-digit speeds in 3.8 seconds. That would be around 3.6 seconds from zero to 60 miles per hour in old money, but can it hold its own against a much punchier electric vehicle? That vehicle is the pre-facelift Porsche Taycan 4S, which also happens to be heavier.

Think just over 2,200 kilograms (4,850 pounds) compared to a curb weight of 1,800 kilograms (3,968 pounds) for the Sino-British model. The Porker does have a significant advantage in power (530 ps or 523 hp) and torque (640 Nm or 479 lb-ft), as well as wider front and rear tires. We also have to remember that it's not your usual performance EV due to the rear-mounted gearbox.

Shared with the Audi e-tron GT, the two-speed tranny is a pretty straightforward affair: first gear for better acceleration from a standstill, and second gear for higher speeds and higher efficiency at higher speeds. Unlike SAIC and the MG brand, Porsche also knows how to squeeze out every ounce of performance by means of extensive calibration.

Given these details, are you surprised the German electric sedan bested the MG with a best of 11.66 seconds at 193 kilometers per hour (120 miles per hour) in the quarter mile? By comparison, the plucky little MG4 clocked a seriously respectable 12.13 seconds at 176 kph (109 mph) with CSL AutoTime presenter Tang behind the wheel.

Believe it or not, the MG4 EV XPOWER then managed to steal a win from a rolling start. CSL AutoTime also tested braking performance by slamming the left pedal at 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour), and the MG redeemed itself once again. Turns out the hatchback's plastic brake caliper covers don't tell the whole story, huh?

MG previously used the XPOWER moniker for the XPower SV, a limited-run coupe with underpinnings from the Qvale Mangusta and V8 muscle from the Ford Motor Company. Fewer than 100 units of the Peter Stevens-penned sports car were produced from 2003 through 2005. The most powerful version was the R, whose Roush-tuned Modular V8 belts out 385 ponies and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm) at 4,750 revolutions per minute.