Tesla is an American company, through and through, living the new continent's dream of glory in zero emissions format. But that doesn't mean it's any less appreciated on the Old Continent, for example.
Last year, Tesla introduced the refreshed Model 3 Highland sedan first in places like Europe, and only last month did it bring the updated four-door home to America. Of course, maybe they had bigger local fish to fry, such as the inaugural deliveries of the mighty Cybertruck that's supposedly taking on the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, Rivian R1T, Chevy Silverado EV, and the upcoming GMC Sierra EV plus Ram 1500 REV while looking like an alien from outer space.
On the other hand, thanks to the recent price cuts, the sales of its Model Y crossover SUV exploded, and it came in fifth in the best-selling vehicle list in 2023 at home in the United States. It was also the top-delivered nameplate in Europe and a contender for the worldwide crown against Toyota's RAV4 and Corolla family. But what about the 'old' Model S flagship sedan and Model X crossover SUV?
No one forgot about them, especially since the bonkers tri-motor all-wheel drive Model S Plaid has become a lot more accessible during recent times – it costs just $90k at home in the United States and 110k euro in Germany, for example. Unlike the Lucid Air Sapphire, which is much more expensive, this version boasts 'just' 1,020 electric ponies, but that's still enough to beat just about anything ICE-powered that isn't tuned to smithereens. There is no need to take our word for granted, though, as we have an eloquent example.
The good German folks over at the KaRace channel on YouTube love a good battle and are not afraid to show us the virtues of an ICE versus EV skirmish when allowed to set up an impromptu race on the airstrip of a local airfield. This time around, the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS that previously battled an Audi R8 V10 and an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, is back to try and finally win something for itself. Usually, a 473-hp sports car with the pedigree of the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS wouldn't have a problem against a heavy EV sedan.
However, this massive EV sedan is the Tesla Model S Plaid, and after the drivers botched a couple of launches, they finally got the hang of using launch control and gave us some feisty yet unprepped quarter-mile action. Porsche enthusiasts had better look away from these two drag races because there's nothing the 911 can do about the Plaid, even though it's an 11.5-second quarter-mile racer and can sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in just 3.3 seconds.
Alas, even on an unprepped surface, the Tesla Model S Plaid remains the king of nine-second passes with two 9.1 and 9.2 ETs and a 2.1-second sprint to 62 mph! Cool, right?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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