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The Quietest Drag Race Ever: Tesla Model S P85D Versus P90D

Tesla Model S P85D versus P90D 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
We’ve seen the Model S at work against every possible contender, we’ve seen people’s reaction to its incredible acceleration, we’ve seen pretty much everything there is to be seen involving the Tesla and a drag strip. And yet, there aren’t many videos out there showing this.
A family feud duel between the Tesla Model S P85D and its successor, the P90D. They both have two electric motors, both have four-wheel-drive, and both have a launch control device that makes them take off like a horse with a chili pepper... you know where this is going.

In fact, this duel could be summed up in just five words: Ludicrous mode versus Insane mode. When it first debuted on the P85D, the Insane mode seemed like more than you could ask for from a premium electric saloon. After all, the four-door was able to accelerate from zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.2 seconds, which is on par with a lot of supercars, and faster than even more of them.

Then came the Ludicrous mode, brought forward by the upgraded P90D. At its launch, Elon Musk described it as “faster than falling acceleration.” He said that “no one asked for Ludicrous mode because it’s too ludicrous,” but that didn’t stop him from implementing the system. You do get the feeling Elon Musk is just one big genius baby having fun and sharing his experiences with us.

The Tesla Model S P90D was capable of a 2.8-second sprint from zero to 60 mph (97 km/h), which you don’t need anyone to tell you is pretty demented. The video below shows us exactly how those four tenths of a second feel in the real world, when the two cars go head to head on a straight piece of asphalt. As Depeche Mode used to say, enjoy the silence.

PS:You would expect people driving Teslas to have better recording equipment.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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