Model S P100D beats 11 supercars in Motor Trend "World's Greatest Drag Race"

[Struja]

The Demon has a kit to set it up at the track for drag racing which includes wheels and tires. It won't be as quick with street tires. Dodge is coming out with a 4 wheel drive model in the Jeep line. That will be one to watch.

The Dodge is purpose built for drag racing.

I think I read somewhere that its best race times are based on a model with 3 distinct features:

1. No seats (other than the driver seat) and they won't warranty the car if you put seats back in after it is ordered without seats.

2. 100+ Octane race fuel

3. Drag tires.

 

[jelloslug]

I think I read somewhere that its best race times are based on a model with 3 distinct features:

1. No seats (other than the driver seat) and they won't warranty the car if you put seats back in after it is ordered without seats.

That's not how warranties work...

 

[larmor]

What is really amazing is that it is for the quarter mile, not just 0-60, and that the tesla is better than last year. I'm sure if tesla made a purpose built sports car-- ie two seats, results would be even faster.

 

[SDRick]

Probably says more about local ideas of fun, the US think blunt straight line power over 1/4 mile is where it’s at, Europe more interested in the art of actually driving to get somewhere fast and the Far East, Japan especially, the art of car control in drifting.

You bring up a valid point, but as far as the US, it is not just about "blunt straight-line power.over the quarter-mile". The quarter-mile numbers actually understate the advantage of Tesla in every-day, real world driving experienced by 98% of US drivers. At all legal and quasi-legal speeds in the US, it is very difficult for anything else match the instantaneous torque and acceleration performance efficiency of the Tesla.

Whether driving in light or heavy traffic, at least in the US, there is nothing as fun and precise as the Tesla drive-train. From what I know and read, those with multiple high-end vehicles choose the Tesla as the go to choice for daily fun and performance efficiency. (Granted, at the track or the autobahn there is no contest with these other supercars, but how many actually take their car to the track?).

So not only is the Tesla a winner at the quarter-mile, it's a bigger winner for most daily driving metrics here in the United States!

 

[insaneoctane]

I know the P100D is amazing, but this video is still phenomenal. Congratulations to Tesla for their bold entry and fantastic success in showing how relevant EVs are!

FYI- I would love to see Tesla compare inception-to-date engineering development hours spent to get here with any company they raced against (and beat).

 

[ggnykk]

Motor Trend has been doing "world's great drag race" for years and I always wonder why Tesla didn't try to contact Motor Trend to put Model S in the race. Well, they finally did it!!!! Got to be one of the greatest free commercial for Tesla. Enjoy the video.

And remember to vote!

what the heck??? My post originally had the video attached for like 7 hours, and all of a sudden, the video was removed. Some Tesla-hater hacked into my account??

 

[ggnykk]

Why is Dodge Challenger SRT Demon missing here? I heard, Dodge had to slow it down to be allowed on race tracks.
With 840 horses, Dodge Demon is 'world's fastest' car
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 1/4 Mile - Hellcat Demon Quarter Mile Time

The Demon will probably show up next year in the race.

 

[Chaserr]

I'm sure if tesla made a purpose built sports car-- ie two seats, results would be even faster.

I'm pretty sure this is why we have Ludicrous+ and not Plaid by now... Plaid will be saved for a car purpose-built for speed, rather than the big sedan that wasn't actually designed from the beginning to be the fastest car in a very impressive lineup. Can't wait!

Demon is going to be a MONSTER in 2018's drag race event.

 

[croman]

What is really amazing is that it is for the quarter mile, not just 0-60, and that the tesla is better than last year. I'm sure if tesla made a purpose built sports car-- ie two seats, results would be even faster.

I'm pretty sure this is why we have Ludicrous+ and not Plaid by now... Plaid will be saved for a car purpose-built for speed, rather than the big sedan that wasn't actually designed from the beginning to be the fastest car in a very impressive lineup. Can't wait!

Demon is going to be a MONSTER in 2018's drag race event.

Roadster 2.0 (or 4.0 I guess) will have "Maximum Plaid" mode and Elon predicts < 2 second 0-60 time. Roadster is a 2 seater Tesla.

 

[ggnykk]

Thanks for the reference to last year's race with the Hellcat. Clearly, this isn't the surface for big power and RWD for 1/4 mile. I gave up on the pathetic (275s!) stock rear rubber and now run drag radials all the time on my Challenger HC. The car still does pretty well in the twisties, surprisingly.

Regarding Demon, yes, one can say it's "purpose built" for drag racing. Who else gives you a trans brake from the factory, and skinnies??? But the car also pulls 1.0 g on the skid pad and will brake from 60-0 better than the ACR Viper. It comes with 315 drag radial-ish tires on all four corners, and apparently uses them quite well.

Sure, the big Challengers are heavy and the front wheels don't contribute anything to your launch. But IMO they're not one-trick ponies.


Rich

I would like to see Motor Trend do some tests on the Demon and confirm all the performance figures that Dodge is claiming.

 

[Racerx22b]

I think the P100D will be neck n neck with the Demon when racing on a non prepped surface with street legal tires. Just my opinion. The Demon needs too many special situations to go sub 10sec. P100D can do 10.5 practically anywhere.

 

[PhaseWhite]

This may not be a popular post but I think there's a chance that either Tesla gave them a ringer (Higher power than what they sell stock) or their timing was a little off... 10.5 is almost as fast as the guy from Tesla Racing channel who has his Base Model S P100D completely stripped down and running drag radials.

Timeslips reference:
Fast Tesla Model-Ss 1/4 Mile 0-60 Drag Racing - DragTimes.com

See some of his runs before strip down here:

World record pass:

 

[SSedan]

I agree with Racerx22b, the Demon won't approach advertised numbers on an unprepped surface on street tires.
Even if it does it is a purpose built drag car masquerading as a street car and without the safety equipment to be a legal drag car.
Fill it up with 91-93 octane, on street tires with no glue on the surface and it will be a smoke show.

I am NOT a Tesla koolaid drinker, just a gearhead who in middleage as a parent and homeowner doesn't have the time or energy to modify and dragrace a daily driver anymore.

The Demon is a marketing stunt, any manufacturer could build an equivalent car, or better, they just choose to spend their marketing budget differently.

 

[DIL]

That was some great car-porn.

 

[CuriousG]

If they're going to put a specific Hellcat to be a ringer, they need to put a Rimac in the mix next year to make it interesting especially since I'm sure they'll have a faster version of it out by then.

Fast forward 4 minutes in to get to the meat of the race.

 

[bhzmark]

This may not be a popular post but I think there's a chance that either Tesla gave them a ringer (Higher power than what they sell stock) or their timing was a little off... 10.5 is almost as fast as the guy from Tesla Racing channel who has his Base Model S P100D completely stripped down and running drag radials.

Timeslips reference:
Fast Tesla Model-Ss 1/4 Mile 0-60 Drag Racing - DragTimes.com

See some of his runs before strip down here:

World record pass:

those TRC 10.79 times are from late 2016 before the ludi+ egg.

With Ludi+ egg and arachnid wheels and better track prep (i.e., not being forced go in a water box on a track with lots of others) 10.5 is reasonable. Probably not replicable for people at slippery tracks.

MT also shows that 10.5 time for P100DL+ time here with a 911 Turbo S.

 

[Racerx22b]

IMHO, the Demon and Hellcat Challenger/Charger were specifically built to dethrone the Tesla as the acceleration king. The Demon succeeded but also failed at the same time. As others said, it is a one trick pony. Sad!

 

[SSedan]

I think the "world is out to get Tesla" view persistent here is a bit much, it is competition and marketing, companies routinely seek to one up each other, not doing it because it is Tesla.

The Hellcat has been around a while and needed an update anyway.

 

[Racerx22b]

I think the "world is out to get Tesla" view persistent here is a bit much, it is competition and marketing, companies routinely seek to one up each other, not doing it because it is Tesla.

The Hellcat has been around a while and needed an update anyway.

I dunno.... Seems like the 0-60 and 1/4 mile boasting reached critical mass shortly after P85D numbers poured in. It also seemed to take about 2.5secs for a Hellcat vs P100D race to surface once the first Hellcat was delivered. Once that Hellcat vid hit the interwebs (with a Hellcat loss) it took about another 2.5secs for them to slap slicks on the Hellcat then it only took another 2.5secs for them to start snapping driveshafts. LOL

Then came the Demon.

 

[fiksegts]

should have used the McLaren 720S instead of the 570S, 720S would have beat em all... also no Lamborghini Huracan this year?