There’s no doubt that Porsche worked hard on its first-ever electric sports car, the Porsche Taycan but Tesla was already in the game long ago. YouTube channel DragTimes brought the ultimate drag race battle between two electric cars, the top-end variant of the Taycan — the Turbo S and the 1,020 hp beast of a machine Tesla Model S Plaid.
Although both cars being electric, deliver instant torque to the wheels. And Porsche having a phenomenal 0-60 mph time of 2.6s still has to do a lot of catchup with Model S Plaid’s 1.99s.
There are a few major differences between both of these performance cars. Taycan Turbo S has a Dual-Motor setup (1 front, 1 rear) as Tesla Model S Plaid has three motors (two in the rear and one in front). The transmission of both vehicles is also different, Porsche Taycan has a 2-speed transmission while Tesla Model S Plaid and other Tesla vehicles have a single-speed fixed-gear transmission.
Let’s go over a quick specs comparison of both vehicles before jumping on watching the real drag races between the two.
Tesla Model S Plaid vs. Porsche Taycan Turbo S specs comparison
| Tesla Model S Plaid | Porsche Taycan Turbo S | |
|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Tri-Motor (AC permanent magnet synchronous motor, carbon-fiber-wrapped rotor, liquid-cooled, with variable frequency drive (2x motors in the rear) | Dual-Motor (AC Permanent Synchronous Motors) |
| Transmission | Front (Single speed fixed gear, 7.5:1. Enhanced lubrication), Rear (Independent single speed fixed gear, 7.5:1. Dry sump lubrication) | 2-speed transmission on the rear axle |
| 0-60 mph | 1.99s | 2.6s |
| Power | 1,020 hp | 750 hp |
| Torque | 1,050 lb-ft (MotorTrend) | 774 lb-ft |
| Range (EPA estimated) | 348 miles | 192 miles |
| Efficiency (combined) | 101 MPGe | 68 MPGe |
| Starting Price (USD) | $129,990 | $185,000 |
Despite a superior range, acceleration, additional motor, and way better efficiency, the price of the Tesla Model S Plaid is $55,000 less than the Taycan Turbo S — yikes!
Porsche has lost the battle in making the most efficient use of the energy stored in the car’s battery pack. Taycan Turbo S has a 93.4 kWh battery that is not small by any measure but better engineering and improved software might have made the best use of it.
Races
Model S Plaid was not even in the Drag Strip Mode in the first attempt and yet it left the Taycan Turbo S way behind in the side-view mirror. This made the Turbo S owner David Lockhart order a Model S Plaid right from the dragstrip (see the video, I am not sure if he literally bought one, but he was convinced).
Model S Plaid gave a consistent quarter-mile time of under 10 secs even with the battery state-of-charge (SoC) dropping with each race, here are the exact numbers from the timeslip:
- 1st attempt = 9.673s @150.93 mph (without Drag Strip Mode).
- 2nd attemtpt = 9.360s @150.82 mph
- 3rd attempt = 9.344s @151.34 mph
The addition of the heat pump and the radiator has made the Model S Plaid a true king of the drag races. It is now the turn of million-dollar Ferraris and Buggatis to taste the Plaid acceleration and we might just see it happening soon.
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