Video: Tesla Model S P85D - the ultimate drag race

9 July 2015
Feature

What's faster in a drag race, a Tesla Model S or a Caterham 620R? Seems like a foregone conclusion, doesn't it? Normally yes, but this Model S is the P85D, which has 682bhp 687lb ft of torque on offer. Matt Prior gathers both cars for a very unusual drag race.

Matt Prior

Matt Prior
Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car. 

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes. 

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Clarkey 9 July 2015

More expensive?

Well in the UK at least the Tesla P85D is cheaper than both the RS7 and the Panamera turbo. Compared with the Porsche, quite a lot cheaper.

Are you suggesting that high speed driving has caused Tesla batteries to catch fire? Do you have any good evidence to share?

bezor Ta 9 July 2015

Oh, not this again

Tesla is truly a one trick pony. Initial acceleration, that is all, and it loses in all other categories against it's main rivals, be it constant high power driving, cornering, range or refueling/charging time. And price. Even in insane mode it loses in acceleration against cars like Audi RS7 or Porsche Panamera turbo (both AWD), while being more expensive than those cars. You can't drive it at high speed more than a few minutes before it cuts power so the batteries won't catch fire ( as a few did earlier). Car & Driver has tested their long term Tesla and has all these data in their article.

Tesla is the only full size luxury EV on the market and THANKS to it's much higher price compared to other smaller EVs, it has a bigger cabin, more batteries so higher performance and longer range. Not exactly rocket science, is it?

Clarkey 9 July 2015

Oh no, not again

Is there anybody left that might actually be surprised by this?

When Tesla get round to doing a successor to the Roadster I wonder how much that will move the game on?