Tesla Model S Plaid Drags Modded Superbike and Genesis G70, Absolute Destruction Ensues

Sure, rivals are already trying to get Tesla relegated to second or third place behind the likes of Fisker's Ocean CUV and, above all, the Lucid Air Sapphire ultra-performance sedan. But it will take a while (and a considerable bank account, given the $250k asking price) before we see the 1,234-hp tri-motor Lucid run down the quarter-mile dragstrip. So, until then, Tesla Model S Plaids remain kings and queens. Or not?

We understand that putting two wheels against four is mostly unfair. In any situation requiring lateral traction, four are better than two wheels. As a counterpoint, in any other case, when blistering fast acceleration is easy to achieve, like a prepped dragstrip surface, something on two wheels is always lighter than anything on four!

And there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have an example. The videographer behind the Wheels channel on YouTube is a massive fan of the Bandimere Speedway and MRP (Mission Raceway Park) dragstrips. Still, he sometimes moves to The Strip (at Las Vegas Motor Speedway) for this kind of ICE vs. EV encounters. And it paid off, big time, at least on this particular occasion.

So, while away from Thunder Mountain and Thunder by the River – the names of Bandimere and MRP across the NHRA, he gave us yet another feisty encounter at the four-lane 'The Strip' in Las Vegas. As always, only two were needed to make a spectacle, as the protagonists of the video embedded below are just as different as Mars from Venus or light from the day.

The crimson Tesla Model S Plaid is easy to explain – it has 1,020 horsepower and instant torque. The BMW S1000RR superbike, on the other hand, is clearly modified because it has a much longer wheelbase than stock. And, frankly, that's usually what it takes for an ICE-powered vehicle to beat a Tesla Model S Plaid – lots and lots of freakin' mods! Oh well, it seems the mighty Plaid's performance was a little overrated on this occasion.

We have no idea if the Tesla Model S Plaid's SoC (state-of-charge) was below optimal or if the driver really didn't know how to launch the high-performance EV sedan. But in the end, the BMW superbike wiped the floor with the iconic zero-emissions hero, to the tune of a 9.5s versus 10.34s victory. During the rematch, the BMW rider was a little too eager and jumped the start, but anyway, the Plaid's time didn't improve by much (10.33s ET), so he probably would have lost that one, too, with buses in between them.

In the end, the Tesla did score a win – but only against a fellow four-wheeler. That would be a rare Genesis G70 (facelift), which sounded like a charm in the night's cool air and lost elegantly against the lousy Tesla with a 12.9s ET against the EV's 10.61s pass. So, what do you think? Was the driver of the Tesla Model S Plaid that bad – considering that we have seen these super-sedan EVs dip into the nines without too much effort? Or was the EV just casually strolling along with a lower-than-optimal SoC?