Porsche Taycan has emerged as the Tesla Model S arch-rival when it comes to performance on the race track, be it in a straight line or the circuits like the Nürburgring and the Laguna Seca.
As soon as Porsche revealed the Dual-Motor Taycan EV last year Tesla teased the Tri-Motor Model S Plaid and it was tested on the Laguna Seca race track for the first time. Currently, the Model S Plaid program is in the prototype testing phase and due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the unveiling might be delayed that was expected this year.
As the hype of the Taycan coming to the market was too high, BBC Top Gear organized a drag race between the two as soon as they could get their hands on a Taycan Turbo S — but later on, this race turned out to be biased and the Top Gear crew once again downplayed Tesla, for that, they received a decent amount of well-deserved flack as well.
The current Dual-Motor Tesla Model S Performance with the 100 kWh battery pack called the P100D, in short, is the flagship Tesla car as of now and until the plaid powertrain Model S is released, still, it is the quickest accelerating car of the world with 0-60 mph in just 2.3s with the latest over-the-air update.
Let’s go over some performance specs comparison of both cars to get an idea of what each opponent is capable of delivering when the accelerator pedal is floored.
Tesla Model S P100D (Raven) vs. Porsche Taycan Turbo S performance summary
| Options | Tesla Model S P100D | Porsche Taycan Turbo S |
|---|---|---|
| Battery-Pack | 100 kWh Performance Version | 93.4 kWh |
| Range (EPA est.) | 348 miles (560 km) | 201 miles (323 km) |
| Drivetrain | Dual Motor Performance AWD | Dual Motor, All Wheel Drive |
| 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) | 2.3 sec with Ludicrous Mode + Cheetah Stance | 2.6 sec with launch control |
| Top speed | 163 mph (262 km/h) | 161 mph (259 km/h) |
| Wheels/Tires | 21″ Sonic Carbon Twin Turbine Wheels ($4,500) with Goodyear tires | 21″ Mission-E Design Wheels |
| Transmission | Single-speed clutchless 10:1 reduction gear | Single-speed front / Two-speed dog-ring rear |
| Brakes | Tesla performance brakes | Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) |
| Launch control | Ludicrous Mode | Launch Control |
| Horsepower | 754 hp with ludicrous mode+ | 616 hp, 750 hp with launch control |
| Torque | 687 lb-ft | 774 lb-ft |
| Curb weight | 4,960 lb (2,250 kg) | 5,121 lb (2,322 kg) |
| Price | $99,990 | $185,000 |
Race tracks and dragstrips are temporarily closed due to the lockdown and DragTimes had to arrange these races in the open space, starting a race with a car horn is not fair by any means but these races were interesting after all.
Obviously, Porsche Taycan has some edge when it comes to performing at the top-end but it is worth remembering that the Tesla Model S was originally created as a luxury family sedan vs. the Taycan being a purebred electric sports car built for the very purpose of shaming its challengers on the race track.
Let’s wait for the day the dragstrips open and we see both of these confront each other again and until the Plaid Model S comes out, Taycan has the time to brag about its performance.
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