The Tesla Model S P85D is a certified heavyweight brawler in the drag racing community. We’ve seen it out-accelerate so many types of cars that it’s sort of become the people’s champion – especially if we’re talking about people who stress out about the environment.
Back when we ran our America vs. Europe feature, in Part 2 we tried to figure out if we would take a Tesla Model S P85D over a rival from the old continent. In that particular case, it was the CLS 63 AMG S – which is just as fast as the E 63 AMG S, they both reach 62 mph or 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds, almost matching the P85D’s 3.4 sec time.
The argument was that it’s much easier to justify choosing the 691 HP Tesla over the 585 HP Merc because we’re not talking about a gas guzzler. The Tesla is an EV, it costs just as much as the Merc and it’s the faster accelerating car. This video proves that point. The P85D is just so much faster off the line it’s not even fair.
The E63 AMG S does fight back but only after they both reach higher speeds – which for normal everyday traffic, wouldn’t even be relevant.
Overall, the cars complete two runs and each run ends up being extremely close. Even if the Model S would have lost, the fact that it’s this fast while being environmentally friendly is just incredible. That’s what instantaneous maximum torque looks like on the drag strip.