We all know that the Tesla Model S Plaid is an extraordinarily quick car, one that rewrote the acceleration rule book. But how does it fair against a much lighter supercar with a hugely powerful combustion engine?
The always-entertaining DragTimes channel on YouTube recently pitted a Model S Plaid against a McLaren 765LT to see which had the upper hand. This was no ordinary 765LT however, as it has been tuned to pump out 1,000 hp, a healthy increase from standard. This also means the McLaren is roughly on par with Tesla’s 1,020 hp but has the advantage of weighing almost 1,800 lbs (816 kg) less.
Watch: Here’s The Sketchiest Way To Beat A Tesla Model S Plaid In A Drag Race
In the first race, things did not go well for the McLaren as the driver messed up the getaway after the launch control decided to deactivate. This left him with absolutely no chance of catching the Tesla and prompted another race.
The second race was much more competitive. After the driver of the 765LT nailed the launch, it gradually pulled out a small lead, ultimately crossing the finish line in 9.2 seconds at 149.38 mph (240.3 km/h). The Tesla wasn’t far behind and ran the quarter-mile in 9.39 seconds at 146.69 mph (234.9 km/h).
An additional two races were held and in both instances, it was the Tesla Model S Plaid that won. While the McLaren may ultimately have the edge in performance, it is much more difficult to get off the line and it takes significantly more skill to deliver consistent results with it.