Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade or so, you’ll already know that most high-end electric cars have often been able to show a clean pair of heels to their ICE counterparts when presented with a standing-start drag race. A Tesla out-dragging a Porsche or a Ferrari is no real shocker. But EVs are getting more affordable, and some of them retain that neck-snapping acceleration. Does that mean the family man on his way to buy groceries will be able to show up a supercar between traffic lights? Judging by the latest drag race from Carwow, that could very well be the case.
The EV in question is an MG4 EV XPower, the most potent in the Chinese company’s range, with an impressive 435 hp (325 kW / 441 PS) and 600 Nm (440 lb-ft) of torque from a pair of electric motors. And priced at £36,495 (approximately $46,000 at current exchange rates), it’s relatively affordable for an EV hot hatch — roughly on par with the MSPR of the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and the Toyota GR Corolla.
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But rather than pit the EV challenger against other hot hatches, Carwow’s Mat Watson decided to introduce the electric hatch to some somewhat beefier competition in the form of a Nissan GT-R and Lamborghini Gallardo in a drag race and brake test.
The Nissan GT-R was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most impressive supercars of its time when it was introduced, sporting a twin-turbo V6 churning out 480 hp (358 kW / 487 PS) and 588 Nm (434 lb-ft). When new, it was the defacto drag king, too. Who can forget Motor Trend’s first “World’s Greatest Drag Race” clip, which saw the Nissan beat 10 of its contemporaries as the quickest head-to-head? Well, apparently, times have changed.
The 2009 Nissan GT-R, piloted by sim racer and YouTuber Jimmy Broadbent, is initially beaten rather comprehensively by the MG4 XPower in the first round of drag races, as too is the 520 hp (433 kW / 588 PS) Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.
See Also: MG4 XPower Electric Hot Hatch Has 429 HP, Lands In The UK With Competitive Pricing
However, with launch control activated on the GT-R for a second and third attempt, the R35 manages to pip the MG4 XPower in the standing quarter mile — but not by much, as both the MG and the Nissan score a time of 12 seconds. The Lamborghini manages to do the same distance in a not-too-shabby 13 seconds but was never quite in the running, potentially due to the owner’s justified reluctance to launch the car thanks to a dodgy gearbox that started to show signs of smoke the last time he tried to send it from a standstill.
However, the tide turns for the supercars during the rolling drag races, with the MG’s top speed limited to 124 mph (200 km/h). Across a half-mile rolling drag, both the Nissan GT-R and Lamborgini Gallardo manage to pull away from the EV.
The MG4 EV XPower does manage to provide us with one last surprise, though. Despite being the heaviest vehicle of the lot at a hefty 1,800 kg (3,968 lbs), it manages to stop from 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 111 feet (33.9 meters) — well short of both the Nissan GT-R and Lamborghini Gallardo.
Were any of the results surprising to you, or is this just the march of progress? While granted, the test was between a modern EV vs. significantly older supercars, which would you have if given the choice?
