Given the jaw-dropping numbers that describe Tesla's latest, you can bet that there are a lot of drivers out there who get terrified when the tri-motor Model S Plaid sets wheels on the drag strip. Well, the adventure we have here sees the Palo Alto machine getting a taste of its own medicine and from a much smaller EV. How small, you ask? We're talking about a 1:7-scale restomod truck that gives this battle an unusual RC twist.
As we've discussed in the past, RC drag racing is a thing, so it should surprise you to see this Arrma Infraction being the David to Tesla's Goliath—at least in theory, there's nothing wrong with the two vehicle sizes mixing when it comes to a drag race.
Then again, as shown by the piece of footage below (lens tip to That Racing Channel on YouTube), the situation might not be the same in real life. That's because the devilish more-than-just-a-toy had no problem getting ahead of the Tesla, but failed to stay in its lane, with the driver of the latter to make efforts to avoid running its competitor over. Oh, and the scarry electric soundtrack of the miniature truck certainly didn't help.
For the record, the Tesla Model S isn't just a 1,020 hp monster that can cover the 0 to 60 mph 96km/h) sprint in under 2s and pull a 9.2s quarter-mile—while previous Model S range-toppers saw the performance dropping rather quickly after their first runs, as the battery's state of charge went down, YouTuber Brooks of the Drag Times channel has shown that the Plaid can deliver over half a dozen runs with the said ET (Elapsed Time), as showcased in the second clip below (7:40 point).
Then again, the RC truck that battled the Tesla—on a non-prepped surface—has been modded, gaining an 8-cell battery instead of the standard 6-cell unit, along with a Castle 1717 electric motor kept in check by a Mamba Monster X 8S controller.
Just like its opponent, the contraption sports all-wheel drive and can now hit 60 mph in about 1.65s, while being capable of low-5s 1/8-mile runs, which should be the equivalent of 7s quarter-mile runs. However, with its current top speed sitting at "over 135 mph", we're not sure how this would deal with the final part of a quarter-mile sprint (for the record, the Model S Plaid goes slightly past 150 mph when crossing the quarter-mile run).
Then again, the three runs you'll see below (11:00 timestamp) were considerably shorter than that and it looks like That Racing Channel's Dan, who owns the little beast, might've held back during the last of the three runs, which also involved a tire change, all in an attempt to keep the RC truck in a straight line for more than a few seconds.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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