Can a Tesla outperform a Formula 1 car?
The guys from Overdrive wanted to find out, so they pitted a Tesla Model S against a Benetton Formula 1 car.
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The British YouTubers started with a Tesla Model S P100D which packs 671 horsepower.
The Model S is powered by two electric motors, one at the front and one at the rear, and is known to absolutely dominate a quarter-mile drag race.
Its competition is a Benetton Formula 1 car with a V10 engine that produces 770 horsepower.
The Formula 1 car weighs just 520kg which gives it a power-to-weight ratio higher than current F1 cars.
So, with both the vehicles behind the line and ready to go, the experiment gets underway.
The Model S gets the jump off the line thanks to its traction and takes an early lead.
But it’s not long before the rear-wheel drive F1 comes shooting past.
The F1 car ultimately crosses the quarter mile first, recording 9.6 seconds.
Meanwhile, the Tesla is barely a hair behind, crossing the finish line at 10.8 seconds.
Following the race, the driver of the F1 car admitted to his competition he was “a bit worried for a while there”.
“I was sat there just wheel spinning waiting to get going and you absolutely went and left me,” he said.
“But then this V10 engine just went in the second half of the run and we finally got there.”
The guys then went on to test the two vehicles in a rolling quarter mile, starting from about 64 km/h (40 mph).
The Tesla again gets the early lead but it’s not enough to take the win.
The F1 car shoots past, crossing the line in just eight seconds.
The Tesla follows just 0.4 seconds later at 8.4 seconds.
You can watch it here!
All in all, it’s a victory for the F1 car, but it also highlights just how strong a performer the Tesla is, especially considering it’s mass-produced for the every day driver.
