Electric propulsion versus internal combustion. The age-old story still grips car enthusiasts, and there’s no denying the Model 3 with the dual-motor option is an interesting choice. The question is, how does the electric sedan from Fremont stack up against a Nissan?
Against an R35, the Model 3 and GT-R are neck and neck at launch. But further down the blacktop, the sports coupe from Japan pulls away from the Tesla thanks to the gearing of the six-speed transmission. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, are limited in terms of top speed because of the fixed-gear design and the software-related limitations.
In this instance, the GT-R finished the quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds at 124.7 miles per hour. The Model 3 managed 11.9 seconds at 112.1 miles per hour, and this gets us to the first installment of The Fast and the Furious. Remember when Paul Walker told Vin Diesel that he owes him a 10-second car? The Model S is capable of 10 seconds on the quarter-mile, and that goes to show how far EVs have come since Nissan rolled out the Leaf.
The renaissance of electric vehicles started in the 1990s with the EV1 from General Motors, then Mitsubishi rolled out the i-MiEV in 2009. The biggest leap forward in terms of volume and accessibility came in 2010 with the Leaf, which still is the best-selling electric vehicle in the world. Based on the demand for the Model 3 and the soon-to-enter-production Model Y, we believe that Tesla has a shot at taking the title away from Nissan.
Volkswagen is also big on electric vehicles with the ID. series of models, which will launch in November 2019 with the compact hatchback that could be called ID. Neo. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the newcomer from Zwickau will cost €29,990 before the German government’s plug-in incentive.
Turning our attention back to drag racing, the Model 3 headed out for a second run on the drag strip. A V8-swapped Jaguar XJS Convertible put up a good fight, but the Tesla improved on the previous run with a quarter-mile of 11.8 seconds at 112.7 miles per hour. Third time around, the Model 3 managed to finish in 11.8 seconds at 112.6 miles per hour.
Can you imagine what drag radials and a stripped-out interior can do? With perfect track conditions and a perfect launch, the Model 3 could post 11 seconds if not 10 and change.
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. Full profile
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