Time and again, Tesla’s Model S has demonstrated – through subsequent and numerous upgrades – that it can duke it out with almost anyone – at least as far as straight-line acceleration is concerned. Alas, do not count on it to win everything!
The Tesla Model S battery-powered liftback sedan is widely credited with not just flagship Tesla duties but also for popularizing EVs as cars that can be daily drivers and great road trip companions during the work week but also a real joy and pride over at the local track for weekend shenanigans. And there is no need to take our word for granted, as there are countless examples attesting to Model S sedans being some of the fastest OEM cars in the world, over a quarter mile.
That is probably due to Tesla doing its due diligence as far as upgrades are concerned. Development of the Model S began way before its 2008 announcement, and production only started in 2012. The first variants quickly rose through the ranks for 60D, 70D, 85D, P85D, and P90D versions, but full recognition did come a bit later, past the P100D age. That was when Tesla unleashed the Raven and Plaid models, of course, which have been ravaging the ICE establishment for quite a while, already.
However, that does not mean only another EV like the Lucid Air Sapphire can put them behind it – remember that the quarter-mile dragstrip motorsport category is also deeply loved by the aftermarket realm. And there are numerous ways of making sure that even a Tesla Model S Plaid can bite the dust of an ICE-powered vehicle. Here, just in case you need an eloquent set of examples, the videographer behind the Drag Racing and Car Stuff channel on YouTube has caught a couple of feisty Tesla Model S Plaid EVs duking it out at Bradenton Motorsports Park during ‘Street Heat’ and ‘Test n Tune’ events that regularly take place in Bradenton, Florida.
First, we get to witness Vince, the driver of the “One Stop Solar Plaid” trying to show the BMP attendance that a Tesla Model S can be faster than a Nissan GT-R and a Lamborghini Huracan during a couple of roll race brawls. Sadly for the EV crowd, these were both severe ICE versus EV duds, given the 168 mph (270 kph) to 145 mph (233 kph) and 155 mph (250 kph) to 141 mph (227 kph) results, respectively.
Secondly, Andrew, which runs the Tesla Plaid Channel on YouTube, duked it out with a bunch of cooler rides, including a vintage, blown monster (at the 1:07 mark), a dragster (at 1:31), a 1,400-hp COPO Camaro (at 2:07), and a Turbo LS-swapped New Edge Ford Mustang! So, do you care to guess who won these last skirmishes, or is it clear, already?
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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