Road and Track EV Performance Car of the Year

[DayTrippin]

Don't know if any of you have seen this. Plaid is in there at least. Having driven most of the cars they tested, can't say I agree with all their observations.

Road & Track’s 2024 Performance EV of the Year

For the first time in Road & Track's history, we collected all the appropriate electric vehicles on the market for a benchmark award for Performance EV of the Year.

www.roadandtrack.com

 

[bkcyk]

Don't know if any of you have seen this. Plaid is in there at least. Having driven most of the cars they tested, can't say I agree with all their observations.

Road & Track’s 2024 Performance EV of the Year

For the first time in Road & Track's history, we collected all the appropriate electric vehicles on the market for a benchmark award for Performance EV of the Year.

www.roadandtrack.com

Matt Farah is staunchly anti-Elon/Tesla. He would rather drive a recall-riddled Mustang EV than be caught dead in a Tesla equivalent which is doable for him since he uses it for LA errands (i.e. only charges at home).

An MSP with *Track Pack* is hands down the performance bargain on planet EV. It shows the Turbo $ its tail lights and bends the knee only to the quarter million $ Lucid Sapphire.

With that said, Tesla really needs to up its QC game if they're going to keep me as a customer. The slow speed clicking noises and transient vibration annoyances fall short of the German alternatives (though they have their own issues). Parts inventory/fulfillment absolutely blows. Service centers are run by a bunch of bush leaguers. I'm still waiting on acquiring two Track Pack rear calipers with no firm ETA. Heck, getting part #s has been a challenge in and of itself!

Yet we're still so early in the EV game. Future is bright. More to come.

 

[WilliamG]

Matt Farah is staunchly anti-Elon/Tesla. He would rather drive a recall-riddled Mustang EV than be caught dead in a Tesla equivalent which is doable for him since he uses it for LA errands (i.e. only charges at home).

An MSP with *Track Pack* is hands down the performance bargain on planet EV. It shows the Turbo $ its tail lights and bends the knee only to the quarter million $ Lucid Sapphire.

With that said, Tesla really needs to up its QC game if they're going to keep me as a customer. The slow speed clicking noises and transient vibration annoyances fall short of the German alternatives (though they have their own issues). Parts inventory/fulfillment absolutely blows. Service centers are run by a bunch of bush leaguers. I'm still waiting on acquiring two Track Pack rear calipers with no firm ETA. Heck, getting part #s has been a challenge in and of itself!

Yet we're still so early in the EV game. Future is bright. More to come.

Agreed 100% with everything you said, and that's from someone who's driven the Taycan Turbo S and Lucid Air (non-Sapphire, mind), several times.

 

[gsmith123]

Umm. No Model 3 Performance?

There's a less than $100k category. Any evaluation of performance EVs without the M3P is woefully incomplete. It's been around for longer than any of the three they included and is the obvious benchmark. I'd say this even if I thought it was a bad car (which I don't).

Side note: there are also Lucid's available for under $100k that could be worthy of inclusion.

 

[ucmndd]

Agree the M3P is a strange omission.

I also generally agree with their picks. Plaid is a brutally quick parlor trick but completely unengaging to drive as a performance/sports car. Taycan is a far superior drivers experience.

 

[James Cole]

Wow… the Plaid is the second lightest by about 20 pounds, the rest are smaller cars and much heavier wtf!

 

[WilliamG]

Agree the M3P is a strange omission.

I also generally agree with their picks. Plaid is a brutally quick parlor trick but completely unengaging to drive as a performance/sports car. Taycan is a far superior drivers experience.

In Track Mode the Plaid is actually surprisingly engaging. It drives like a totally different vehicle.

 

[fholbert]

I’m confused, maybe I confuse easily.

Porsche calls their model a Turbo. What the heck are they boosting, it’s an EV?

 

[dwbv]

I’m confused, maybe I confuse easily.

Porsche calls their model a Turbo. What the heck are they boosting, it’s an EV?

The "Turbo" is a trim level, not necessarily that it's a force-induction vehicle. Kinda like the "EX" in Honda Accord EX. Or the "Plaid" in Tesla Model S Plaid.

Porsche could come out with a skateboard and call it the Porsche FlatRider Turbo S.

 

[fholbert]

The "Turbo" is a trim level, not necessarily that it's a force-induction vehicle. Kinda like the "EX" in Honda Accord EX. Or the "Plaid" in Tesla Model S Plaid.

Porsche could come out with a skateboard and call it the Porsche FlatRider Turbo S.

I guess Chevy could come out with a 454 powered crew cab dully and call it an EV.

 

[DayTrippin]

In Track Mode the Plaid is actually surprisingly engaging. It drives like a totally different vehicle.

My thoughts exactly. I tried posting that in the comments but it never went through. They should have a track mode "lite" version where you get the torque vectoring and other handling improvements with all the super cooling of motor and batteries for when you want more fun but aren't pushing it to the max on the track. Basically a few mountain pass runs and then actually kick in the cooling if needed.

 

[Phizzz]

The "Turbo" is a trim level, not necessarily that it's a force-induction vehicle. Kinda like the "EX" in Honda Accord EX. Or the "Plaid" in Tesla Model S Plaid.

Porsche could come out with a skateboard and call it the Porsche FlatRider Turbo S.

Or like a Ford Mustang...electric SUV

 

[brooklyn]

Wow… the Plaid is the second lightest by about 20 pounds, the rest are smaller cars and much heavier wtf!

Body metal probably plays a big part in the weight difference. Whereas I suspect the Porsche is made of the solid stuff, my MSP hood feels like it's made of plastic and comes with a warning that I might damage it if I push down too hard to close it in the wrong areas. I leaned against the rear quarter panel of my MSP shortly after taking delivery and almost had a heart attack when the whole fricking thing suddenly folded in and popped out when I jumped away from it.