Edmunds arranged a fun and exciting quarter-mile drag race between two very different cars in a video published on their YouTube channel last week. A top-spec Tesla Model Y Performance drag raced another American-born sports car, the famous Chevy Corvette.
Model Y Performance is an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) electric SUV with 1 motor at the front and 1 at the rear axle. The Vette is a mid-engined Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) performance car that runs on dinosaur juice aka gas.
Since the Model Y was basically built as a family SUV and has a large battery pack spanning across the vehicle’s floor, it is heavier than the Corvette which is a born sportscar for only two people. Let’s compare some basic specs and pricing of the two drag race contenders here.
| 2021 Tesla Model Y Performance | 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine/Drivetrain | Dual-Motor AWD | 6.2 L LT2 V8 |
| Power | 450 – 500 hp (est) | 495 hp |
| Torque | 470-500 lb-ft (est) | 465 lb-ft |
| Weight | 4,419 lbs | 3,649 lbs |
| 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) | 3.5s | 2.9s |
| Top Speed | 155 mph | 194 mph |
| Price | $60,990 | $80,660 |
Yes, the Corvette C8 has a better 0-60 mph time than the Model Y Performance but the drag races in the following video are still interesting to watch. A better contender of the Vette would’ve been a Model 3 Performance which has a 0-60 time of 3.1 seconds.
Edmunds has also drag-raced the same Model Y Performance against a mighty Jeep Trackhawk in the past. Because of the instant electric motor torque and acceleration, the world seems to enjoy drag racing gas cars against Teslas. Only Porsche Taycan can match the performance of Teslas in the production electric vehicle universe.
However, with the new Tesla Model S Plaid and Plaid+ on the verge of getting into production with a 0-60 time up to under 2.0 seconds, the entire drag racing world is about to be re-shaken in a few months’ time.
Results
Tesla Model Y driver lacked in properly launching the car in the first attempt, the start for the Y was not as good but still in the end it finished close.
Model Y was properly launched on the 2nd attempt, it kept its lead until the smurf blue Corvette caught on at the end. Model Y lost this round as well but still finished too close to the sportscar icon.
Corvette finished the 1/4 mile in 11.5 sec@119.7 mph — Model Y crossed the finish line in 11.8 sec@115.6 mph — this must be the average time of both attempts.
0-60 mph times varied from manufacturer specs for both cars but several factors including the driver competence, road, wind, and weather conditions can affect this figure. Here’s the results card Edmunds shared after the races.
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