After the Valkyrie hypercar, the second most powerful Aston Martin in production today is the DBS Superleggera. A gorgeous-looking grand tourer with a twin-turbo heart that beats to the tune of 12 cylinders, this model has been put through its paces by Rory Reid against a Tesla Model S Performance.
“I’m pretty sure how this will end,” you may be thinking right now. Even though the British interloper has the better tires, interior, and exhaust note, the all-electric sedan with the dual-motor drivetrain and no-nonsense launch control system is the undisputed winner from a standstill and from a roll.
To make matters worse for the luxurious GT from Gaydon, the man behind the wheel accelerated off the line with significant wheel spin. “Bus-sized gap” doesn’t even come close to the actual distance between the two contenders across the finish line. However, bear in mind the Tesla wouldn't keep up with the longer-legged Aston Martin if the race distance were longer.
From zero to 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour) and back to zero again, the Model S Performance won by only the smallest of margins because the DBS Superleggera also happens to feature better brakes. Not only are the rotors larger, but it’s a carbon-ceramic setup instead of steel.
For the 2021 model year, the Tesla boasts up to 1,140 Nm (840 pound-feet) of torque when the MSP is set up for straight-line dominance. However, there’s a refresh just around the corner, and it’s not just skin deep.
You see, the Palo Alto-based automaker is also gearing up for the Plaid three-motor drivetrain. Priced from $132,990 even though it's not yet in production, the most extreme Model S to date will cover the quarter-mile in less than nine seconds. Zero to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) should take less than two seconds, which is over-the-top insane by all accounts.
Oh, and by the way, Tesla will also improve the top speed from 163 to 200 mph (322 kph), which is 11 miles per hour short of the Aston.
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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