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Tesla Model 3 Performance Races 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, Total Annihilation Ensues

We recognize that some drag races take place just for the sake of having some fun, after all, not everyone is a 24/7 maniac competitor. Can you even imagine drag racing a car driven by Michael Jordan? Even if you’d won, he’d never let you walk away until finally getting the best of you. Anyway, with that in mind, we probably shouldn’t take this particular race too seriously.
Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43
In one corner we have one of the quickest family sedans money can buy in the Tesla Model 3 Performance. It features a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup, feeding the wheels a total of 340 kW (450 hp). If this was a 2021 Model 3 Performance, it would have had more power, but alas, it is a 2019 car.

Regardless, it’s still a formidable foe in a straight line, as it can accelerate to 60 mph (97 kph) in about 3.1 seconds. You literally need a top-end supercar, if not a hypercar, to get the jump on this wickedly quick EV.

This means that it most certainly couldn't get beaten by a compact crossover, at least nothing stock – which is why we knew this 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 stood no chance. Not even the twin-turbocharged V8 AMG 63 version could have taken the Tesla, let alone the 43 with its twin turbo V6.

Sure, this is still a quick SUV, putting down 390 hp while making good use of Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive system. It will hit 60 mph in just under 5 seconds, which is respectable, but far from sufficient in order for it to challenge a Model 3 Performance.

In the end, the fact that they didn’t race over a full quarter mile probably helped the GLC 43, as it only lost by 0.83 seconds. That gap would have surely grown if the two vehicles kept going.

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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
Sergiu Tudose profile photo

Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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