This drag race is so British that you can almost hear the afternoon tea being sipped while muttering, "Quite, quite, old chap." After racing the Tesla Cyberbeast in the United States, Mat Watson returned to the UK and started racing other Tesla models. Unfortunately, it's not a Cybertruck but the Model 3 Long Range, and it's going against the very annoying BYD Seal.
Before we get to why the BYD Seal is so annoying, let's first pay a quick visit to the "pit stop" and check out our silent contenders.
First, the Model 3 LR comes with that well-known 75kWh battery pack that can reportedly last for up to 390 miles (WLTP) or 677 km. Surprisingly, it's not all that heavy, at 4,056 lbs. or 1,840 kg.
This model is AWD and has a dual-electric motor configuration that can deliver 483 hp or 490 ps with 361 lb-ft (490 Nm) of torque. On their website, Tesla says the Long Range can go from 0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 125 mph or 201 kph.
Driving it is Mat Watson from "carwow," and he said something interesting about the Tesla. According to him, aside from running the performance tests on a dyno for yourself, it's pretty hard to find out the exact performance figures for this Tesla, so they went with the numbers their "investigation" dug up. At least the price is right, at 50k British pounds or almost $64,000.
Now, straight from China, we have the BYD Seal. In North America, there are two versions. The entry-level one is RWD with a single-motor configuration that can output 201 horsepower (204 PS) and 229 lb-ft (310 Nm) of torque. The battery pack is just shy of 62 kWh with a WLTP range of 286 miles (460 kilometers).
Photo: carwow
Today's model is the dual-motor, all-wheel drive variant that can generate 523 horsepower (530 ps) and 494 lb-ft (670 Nm) of torque. It also has a larger 82 kWh battery that should run the Seal for 323 miles or 520 km. Depending on various factors, it should cost around $51,000. A lot cheaper than the Tesla.
Now it's time for some intense racing. Or at least someone's definition of "intense."
Just for kicks, both cars were in Eco mode during the first race, and as soon as it began, the BYD Seal's alarms started going off. When you exceed 50 mph (80 kph), it starts beeping and scolding you, even though it packs over 500 hp. Then, after the driver started breaking, the hazard lights began blinking out of the blue.
Apparently, the Seal is really naggy when you try to have some fun in it. Moreover, unlike the Tesla, if you don't keep your foot on the break when you're stationary, the Seal will start moving. They tried to fix this from the console, but it seems no such option exists for now. Not to mention that although it's electric, it has a delay when you floor it.
Photo: carwow
So, after they reverted to their Race mode equivalent, it was time to do a proper race. Everything was in order this time, and the BYD was in the lead for more than half the race. However, the Tesla slowly but surely gained some ground and crept up for a photo finish. This happened twice in a row, but as it turns out, the Seal won both races by mere inches.
In the end, they both finished the standard quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds. As for the first "unofficial" Eco mode race, the Tesla won with 15.8 seconds, while the BYD Seal crossed the finish line in 16.4 seconds.
A couple of 1/2-mile roll races soon followed, where the Seal lost both times mainly due to the 117 mph (188 kph) limiter. The Tesla Model 3 Long Range hit its limit at 126 mph or 203 kph.
So, while it was 2-0 for the BYD at drag racing and 2-0 for the Tesla at roll racing, the tie-breaker came from the braking test (pun intended). They had to reach a complete stop from 100 mph or 161 kph, and the BYD won by almost two car lengths.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News