Tesla Model S Plaid Drag Races Model X Plaid: Battle Of The Titans

These high-performance EVs share the same 1,020-horsepower tri-motor powertrain, but there are significant differences between them.

By: Dan Mihalascu

Feb 15, 2022 at 1:05pm ET

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The Tesla Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid may share the 1,020-horsepower tri-motor electric powertrain, but are they equally quick in real life?

That's a good question because the official acceleration specs communicated by Tesla are remarkably close. The Model S Plaid does 0-60 mph in 1.99 seconds and does the quarter-mile in 9.23 seconds, while the Model X Plaid accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds.

As far as we're aware, the two high-performance EVs haven't been compared side by side yet, but the latest video from the Vehicle Virgins Motorsport.tv channel changes that.

Already a Model S Plaid owner, the vlogger managed to get hold of a Model X Plaid and improvised some drag races and roll races between the two ridiculously fast EVs.

As you'll see in the video, "improvise" is the proper word because the races took place in what looks like the parking lot of a warehouse on a distance clearly shorter than a quarter-mile—probably an eighth of a mile at best.

We get no speed trap measurements either, but even so, the video offers a good idea of how quick the Model X Plaid is compared to the fastest-accelerating series production car in the world, the Model S Plaid.

Given the significant weight difference between the two models—the crossover tips the scales at 5,390 pounds while the sedan weighs 4,766 pounds—the Model X Plaid is remarkably quick.

What do you think?

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Then there's the difference in aerodynamics; thanks to a claimed drag coefficient of 0.208, the Model S Plaid cuts through the air more easily than the Model X Plaid, which Tesla says it has a Cd of 0.24.

The Model S Plaid's 600-pound weight advantage and much better drag coefficient are the main things you need to remember before watching the video to find out which of the two EVs is quicker. Enjoy!