carwow's latest racing video uploaded pits the most powerful Tesla passenger vehicle against 1,000-horsepower challengers from Germany. As the headline reads, we're dealing with an F90 M5 and a 992 911 Turbo S, modified well beyond their advertised output ratings.
Speaking of which, the Model S Plaid is advertised in the Old Continent with 1,020 metric ponies to its name rather than imperial horsepower. Torque is the very same 1,420 Nm or 1,047 pound-feet as the American specification. Although it seats five in comfort and produces maximum torque much quicker than combustion-engined vehicles, the MSP weighs around 2,200 kilograms (4,850 pounds).
Lithium-ion batteries meant for electric vehicles are heavier than a tank full of gas, indeed! Next up, the M5 is a tastefully modified example of the breed with a whopping 1,100 Nm (811 pound-feet) on deck. Modified by Mr Vanos, the 4.4-liter V8 is rocking a remap and turbos from Evolve Automotive, plus carbon intakes from Eventuri.
It's a bit of a porker as well, albeit reasonably so. Bear in mind this fellow is a D-segment luxury sedan with all-wheel drive and ZF's brilliant 8HP torque-converter automatic transmission. It's also the most affordable of the cars pictured at carwow's usual runway, including the 30,000 pounds sterling worth of performance upgrades.
The most sporting contender of the bunch is – obviously enough – the black-painted 911. This Neunelfer was modified by Turkish company ESMOTOR with the ES 900 tuning package, which takes the six-cylinder engine to just over 1,000 metric horsepower. While it may not match the 1,020 ponies of the Model S Plaid, bear in mind the German coupe is lighter than both sedans (1,650 kgs/3,638 lbs).
Photo: carwow on YouTube
It's not surprising in the slightest to see the zero-emission vehicle assert dominance over the combustion-engined contestants in the quarter mile, but it's definitely surprising to see how close that 911 is to the Model S Plaid. The best times posted are 9.6 seconds and 10.0 seconds flat, with the M5 crossing the line in a hugely respectable 10.3 clicks.
Shoehorn three passengers in each vehicle, and those quarter-mile times understandably get worse: 9.9 seconds, 10.1 seconds, and 10.6 seconds. The Model S Plaid also makes easy work of the Neunelfer from a rolling start over the half mile. However, the 911 gets revenge from 70 miles per hour (113 kilometers per hour) after losing the 50- and 30-mph rolls. Oh, and by the way, that Model S Plaid also happens to hit its limiter well before the half-mile mark.
Driven by Jamie from Officially Gassed, the flat-six model further impresses from 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour) to a standstill. Given its lower weight and fancy brakes, it would have been ludicrous for the 911 to break worse than the BMW M5 or the Porsche 911 Turbo S.
With the M5 going plug-in hybrid next year and the Turbo S also getting some kind of hybrid assistance for the 992.2 series, a rematch definitely needs to happen. Unfortunately, chances are we'll have to wait until 2025 or thereabouts for the G90 and 992.2 to break 1,000 horsepower via tuning.
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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