Electric cars were supposed to be good for the environment, but like all expensive toys, they are seriously over-tuned so that the rich people who buy them get bragging rights. Today, we're going to look at the Tesla Model S, which has been slaying gas-powered cars for six years now. Its adversary is the Kia Stinger GT, which doesn't stand a chance.
Kia doesn't make that many cars that can be described as "fast," but the Stinger is its halo. Using a Genesis platform, the Koreans crafted a four-door coupe. And with a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6, the top model is certainly fast enough for German base saloons. However, we are dealing with a base Tesla instead.
The 75D is the least powerful Model S you can buy. It's more expensive than the Stinger GT, sure, but not by a factor large enough to discredit the race. The rear-wheel-drive stinger puts down 370 horsepower in European spec, which is less than 1% more than the Stinger (365 vs. 362 bhp). Crucially, even though the Tesla is considerably heavier due to its battery pack, its torque output is about a third greater.
Before the race begins, Top Gear's numbers suggest each model might have its advantage. But if you look only at the 0 to 60 times and remember what Teslas have done in previous quarter-mile venues, you know this is a one-horse race.
While the twin turbos of the Stinger are spooling up, the Model S is ready to go. It launches with the ferocity of a hungry tiger and never lets go of the lead it secured. Judging from the fact that the Kia can't claw anything back, it would be the slowest car in a rolling race as well. Still, no other Kia would even be compared to a Tesla... except manybe the EVs.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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