But was the result ever really in doubt?
It turns out 900 horses make a big difference.
The two quickest production cars of all time, the Rimac Nevera and the Tesla Model S, were recently pitted against each other in a series of drag races, with the former coming out on top easily. The difference between the two, besides a whole lot of power and money? Six-tenths of a second.
The two EVs can be seen racing each other three times in a new video posted by DragTimes, the same YouTuber that recently filmed the Nevera as it became the fastest accelerating production car of all time. In all three heats, the American EV was no match for the Croatian counterpart.
In the first race, the Tesla gets off to a fast start building up a solid lead before being overtaken by Rimac’s battery-powered speed machine, which ends up winning by several car lengths. The Nevera covers the quarter-mile in 8.655 seconds at a speed of 166.66 mph, while the Model S Plaid does the same in 9.272 seconds at a speed of 152.68 mph—a difference of 0.617 seconds. That was easily the most dramatic of the trio of heats. In races two and three, the Nevera gets out to a fast start and wins by 0.671 seconds and 0.679 seconds, respectively.
But were those results really ever in doubt? Sure, the Nevera and Model S Plaid are both speedy are fully electric, but that’s about all they have in common. Rimac’s EV is a hypercar with a quad-motor powertrain that can generate 1,914 hp, and it costs $2.4 million. Meanwhile, the Model S Plaid is a sedan with a tri-motor powertrain that generates 1,020 hp and starts at $124,000.
The Tesla, it should be said, deserves credit for holding its own, despite being outmatched and weighing 100 more pounds than the Nevera. Its quarter-mile times of 9.272, 9.312 and 9.294 seconds are all incredibly impressive for a stock production sedan. The truth is few EVs in its class will be able to keep up with it.
Be that as it may, you can add at least one other name to the list of high-powered cars that have smoked the Model S Plaid in a drag race. A gas-powered Shelby GT showed no mercy to Tesla’s fastest car in July.