Leave it to Mat Watson from the "carwow" YouTube channel to spell S3XY with Teslas and race them across a 1/4-mile drag strip. Buckle up and hold on to your seats, ladies and gents, for this drag race is a special one. And just in time for a lazy Saturday. Also, you might want to get used to these V8-less events because if the auto industry holds up its end of the bargain, racing ICE cars will be something "old people did back in the day."
So what are our contestants? We have the Tesla Model S Plaid, Model 3 Performance, Model X Plaid, and Model Y Performance. Together, they make up Elon Musk's favorite acronym, albeit with a "3" instead of an "E." The real question is, if he's going for the electric boats market, what letters will he come up with next? The Tesla Models "Landlubber," "Land HO!," "Ahoy!," or "Stowaway?" We'll have to wait and see.
Circling back to our neck of the woods, let's check out these prize fighters one by one. First, there's the Tesla Model S Plaid. It's all-wheel drive and comes with one electric motor in the front, and two in the rear axle, which, combined, can output 1,020 hp (1,034 ps) with 1,047 lb-ft (1,420 Nm) of torque.
According to its spec sheet, this baby can hit 60 mph (96.5 kph) in 2 seconds, has a top speed of 200 mph (322 kph), and has a driving range between 348-396 miles or 560-637 km. In the ol' US of A, it starts from $108,490.
The base Model 3 Performance price is $53,240 and has a dual electric motor that can output 527 hp or 534 ps and 486 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque. It does 0-60 in 3.1 seconds and has a top speed of 162 mph or 261 kph.
The Model X Plaid has the same innards as the S Plaid, but it's also a bit heavier. It goes from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of 149 mph (240 kph).
Price-wise, it almost the same as the S Plaid, so it's up to the buyer if they want a smaller and faster package or a "slower" but more muscly-looking vehicle.
Finally, the Model Y Performance starts at $54,490 and has the same dual-motor system as the Model 3 Performance. It's chunkier all around, so the real life results differ slightly. It hits 60 in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph or 249 kph.
Now that we're done with the pleasantries, let's see how these uncomfortably silent but deadly machines performed on the tarmac.
There are no surprises here, folks. The S Plaid blasted like a rocket ship and won, followed by the Model X Plaid, Model 3 Performance, and Model Y Performance. The second attempt was just a rerun of the first one.
Here are the results! The Tesla Model S Plaid's quickest time was 9.8 seconds, while the X Plaid finished in 10.1 seconds. Then, the Model 3 Performance crossed the finish line in 11.9 seconds, and finally, the Model Y Performance did the 1/4-mile in 12.4 seconds.
After the main event, they went for seconds with 1/2-mile roll races. The standings were the exact same ones from the drag races.
The final challenge was a break test from 100 mph or 160 kph. The results are in, and The Model S Plaid was the first to stop, followed by the Model Y. The Model 3 was third, and the X Plaid stopped last.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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