If you can’t beat them in sustainability, take electric cars to the race tracks — the ICE world has a grudge against EVs. But even at the race circuits especially dragstrips, EVs, especially Teslas outrun most internal combustion cars, unless highly modified.
YouTube channel Carwow organized a drag race that puts the fastest, quickest, and the most luxurious internal combustion engine (ICE) SUVs against the new design refreshed Tesla Model X Plaid.
BMW X5 M, Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S, Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, and Lamborghini Urus Performante all gang up on the Tesla Model X to fight for their pride — at least in the drag racing arena.
To understand the intensity of this competition, we will have to go through some of the performance specs comparisons of all the contenders in this race (see table below).
| Tesla Model X Plaid | Lamborghini Urus Performante | BMW X5 M Competition | Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT | Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motors / Engine | Tri-Motor (AC permanent magnet synchronous motor, carbon-fiber-wrapped carbon-fiber-wrapped rotor, liquid-cooled, with variable frequency drive (2x motors in the rear)) | 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 | 4.4-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo V-8 | 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 | Handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo with mild hybrid drive |
| Power | 1,020 hp | 6,666 hp | 625 hp | 640 hp | 612 hp |
| Torque | 1,020 Nm | 850 Nm | 750 Nm | 850 Nm | 850 Nm |
| Weight | 2,539 kg (5,598 lbs) | 2,150 kg (4,734 lbs) | 2,410 | 2,220 kg (4,894 lbs) | 2,420 kg (5,335 lbs) |
| Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | AWD | AWD | AWD |
| Transmission | Front (Single speed fixed gear, 7.5:1. Enhanced lubrication), Rear (Independent single-speed fixed gear, 7.5:1. Dry sump lubrication) | Four-wheel drive with limited slip central differential and asymmetric/dynamic torque distribution (Torsen-type) | 8-speed M Sport STEPTRONIC transmission with Drivelogic, Sport and Manual shift modes, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and Launch Control | 8-speed Tiptronic S, with manual actuation and automatic mode | AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9-speed |
| Acceleration (0-60 mph) | 2.5s | 3.3s | 3.7s | 3.1s | 3.7s |
| Top Speed | 163 mph (262 km/h) | 190 mph (306 km/h) | 155 mph (250 km/h) | 186 mph (299 km/h) | 174 mph (280 km/h) |
| Price (MSRP est.) | $109,990 | $230,000 | $109,895 | $188,700 | $116,850 |
As the specs speak for themselves, Tesla Model X Plaid has a massive advantage when it comes to power, torque, and acceleration figures. These sports SUVs need to stay away from such competitions to avoid such embarrassment in the future.
Tesla Model X Plaid is the world’s quickest SUV when it comes to 0-60 mph and quarter-mile numbers — 2.5s and 9.9s respectively. The closest is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT with 3.1s acceleration but it couldn’t stand the instant electric torque delivery of the Model X Plaid.
Despite better performance specs and being lighter in weight, the launch of the Lamborghini Urus Performante wasn’t impressive compared to other SUVs in the drag racing competition. The Lambo just came 3rd in the 1st attempt, and in the 2nd attempt, it did even worse, only able to secure the 4th position. The 3rd attempt wasn’t much different.
The performance of the BMW X5 M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT was reasonable but not much close to that of the Tesla Model X Plaid. AMG GLE 6S was the worst among the competitors, coming in at last almost every time.
The quarter-mile times of the 3rd and final drag racing attempt are as follows:
- Tesla Model X: 10.3 seconds
- Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT: 11.4 seconds
- Lamborghini Urus Performante: 11.7 seconds
- BMW X5 M Competition: 11.7 seconds
- Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S: 12.2 seconds
Let’s watch the thrilling drag race competition. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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