When Tesla rolled out the Model S and Model X Plaid variants, it seemed like the 1,020-horsepower EV monsters were unstoppable – especially the luxury sedan and particularly when attacking rivals at the local quarter-mile dragstrip facility. Well, things are slowly starting to change nowadays.
There are reports that people are starting to distrust the whimsical nature of Elon Musk's recent actions and are dumping Tesla shares left and right. Well, it might have to do more with the recent climate of EV slowdown, actually. Besides, with lower prices across the board, Tesla is not that exclusive anymore, so folks trying to stand out in a crowd aren't so attracted to it anymore.
However, we didn't expect the mighty EV sedan to get beaten where it fared best, too – at the local quarter-mile dragstrip. Sure, there are modified trailered racers that perform much better than a Tesla Model S – but those need constant attention and massive investments. But to see a little coupe that you can grab with less than $50k 'off the shelf' perform better than a Model S Plaid, that's certainly something to behold.
Well, it was bound to happen – even OEMs are raising the bar to catch up to Tesla's Model S Plaid, like Porsche releasing the fresh Taycan Turbo GT or Dodge marking the end of the Challenger era with the SRT Demon 170. As for the Lucid Air Sapphire, it's already at 1,234 horsepower – but it remains to be seen if makers like Rivian or Lucid will survive after the EV world gets shocked by the Fisker bankruptcy.
Anyway, politics aside, let's get back to our quarter-mile dragstrip sheep. The videographer behind the Drag Racing and Car Stuff channel on YouTube is back at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, and the ICE versus EV heat is on and steamy, for sure.
To put everything into the proper perspective, an old Lexus SC 300 two-door coupe looked completely unprepared to fight off a 1,020-horsepower torque monster like the Tesla Model S Plaid at the popular BMP racetrack. However, there's a hint that something nasty is going on with the old Lexus – the right-side headlight has an additional ventilation hole, and on the same side, there's a big exhaust behind the front wheel.
So, this is a turbocharged Lexus that means business – and the Tesla driver either didn't realize that and gave it the hit, or that was a very bad start on its behalf. It probably doesn't matter because the Plaid had enough time to regain its composure and win the first skirmish (9.74s versus 9.89s) thanks to a vastly superior trap speed (147 versus 137 mph). However, it was a close one, don't you think?
As it turns out, that was just the preamble to more EV trouble. Next up, the videographer shows us a nightly encounter between another Tesla Model S Plaid, a white one, which brawled with a 'tiny' Toyota GR Supra. This time around, no mercy was shown, and both tried to achieve their best reaction times. Curiously, the yellow ICE-powered rascal didn't get stomped into submission by the massive zero-rpm torque of the EV sedan. Instead, it held its own and even took command of the race.
It didn't relinquish the lead until the very end, hence the surprising 9.76 versus 9.92s victory! Last but not least, the yellow GR Supra and the gray Lexus SC 300 also met during the day to see which ICE-powered warrior deserves the most honors!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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