Tesla Model S Plaid Gives 'Normal' Car 10 Second Head Start
Can a normal car beat the Plaid when starting with a 10-second advantage?
We already have plenty of proof that the stock Tesla Model S Plaid is second to none in terms of acceleration. It beats top production ICE cars and destroys other EVs, including Porsche Taycan Turbo S.
This time we can see a race against a 'normal' conventional car that for some reason appeared at the drag strip. It appears to be a Subaru Crosstrek, circa 2017, which we understand was capable of completing the quarter-mile in an excruciatingly slow 17.5 seconds.
Anyway, the plan is simple. The Plaid starts the race about 10 seconds after the 'normal' car.
According to the Complete Street Performance, the Plaid started 10.6 seconds after the green light and it's pretty amazing that it still managed to cross the 1/4 mile line first. It means that the other car was half as quick (under 19 seconds).
The run was a part of a longer Complete Street Performance's video, which provides a little bit more info that the Plaid won by about 0.2 seconds.
Tesla Model S Plaid specs:
- up to 390 miles (628 km) of EPA est. range
- battery capacity: N/A
- 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 1.99 seconds (*with rollout subtracted)
0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.1 seconds (*with rollout subtracted)
MotorTrend's 0-60 mph (asphalt, no rollout): 2.28 seconds; 2.3 seconds according to ICSI - 1/4 mile 9.23 seconds at 155 mph trap speed according to Tesla
Jay Leno's 1/4 mile record of 9.247 seconds at 152.16 mph trap speed
DragTimes' run: 9.248 seconds at 151.83 mph
record time of 9.081 seconds at 154.10 mph trap speed with removed interior pieces - July 24, 2021 at the World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis - top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h) †when equipped with the proper wheels and tires (available fall 2021)
- three-motor all-wheel drive (one motor in the front and two motors in the rear)
- system output: 1,020 hp (about 760 kW)
- DC fast charging: at up to 250 kW (Superchargers)
can replenish 187 miles (301 km) in 15 minutes - Drag Coefficient 0.208 Cd
- Wheels 19" or 21"
- Cargo 28 cu ft
- Weight 4,766 lbs (2,162 kg)
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