Tesla Model 3 Drag Races Lamborghini Urus, Turbo V8 Reigns Supreme

While some people focus on range comparisons, others resort to the good old-fashioned way of dealing with things: quarter-mile (402 meters) racing. That way, you can draw a quick conclusion. And it's also exciting to watch.

Teslas have been pitched against sports cars, supercars, and hypercars for years now. "You win some, you lose some" - the outcome is always different, depending on several factors. Yet somehow, it feels like the EVs are mostly successful in their attempts.

But is that going to be the case for today's drag race too? On one hand, we're looking at a Lamborghini Urus. Its opponent is a Tesla Model 3 Performance. Before jumping into the race, let's look at their respective spec sheets.

The Urus is powered by a twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 that churns out 641-hp and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. But it does weigh in at 4,843 lbs (2,197 kg), which is quite a lot. By comparison, its EV opponent is lighter at 4,078 lbs (1,850 kg).

Meanwhile, the Model 3 Performance relies on two electric motors that have a combined output of just under 500-hp and 486 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque. All of a sudden, you get the feeling that the EV is at a slight disadvantage here.

Oh well, that's only natural considering that for the price of the Lambo you can buy more than four Teslas. But let's move on with the main event, the standing quarter-mile race. Mat Watson is driving the Model 3 Performance and he decided to bring the tires up to temperature before the first run.

And he's off to a great start, as you would imagine. But we all know that's where EVs are best at. But it doesn't take long for the initial gap to start shrinking. By the end of it, the Urus wins the first run, albeit by a small margin.

Both cars crossed the line in 11.8 seconds. But Mat refuses to have another go, fearing that a better launch from his opponent would result in an even more crushing victory. Instead, they move on to a rolling-race format.

Starting at 30 mph (48 kph), the Urus is in its sportiest setting and manual mode at the same time. As soon as Mat calls it in, he rockets in the lead. But this is a race to the half-mile (804 meters). And by the time the Urus reaches 100 mph (161 kph), they are neck and neck.

This time the Model 3 Performance suffers an even worse defeat than it did the first time around. When the Lamborghini's gearbox is switched to automatic for the re-run, the gap is slightly smaller. But the Italian exotic is now in the lead, 3-0.

There's one last hope for Mat Watson in the Tesla, and that is the braking test. Having the upper hand in terms of weight, he might stand a better chance this time. Both drivers get up to 100 mph and then they slam on the brakes. And you could label the result as a sort of a photo finish, but we'll let you discover which one of the two cars scored the final point.