Guy tries to race his Tesla Model S Plaid against a heavily modified McLaren 750S in Florida and things get interesting
Published on Apr 12, 2026 at 5:38 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Apr 10, 2026 at 8:27 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
You couldn’t call it when this guy decided to race his Tesla Model S Plaid against a heavily modified McLaren 750S.
In a race, you have to back yourself to win.
But confidence can only take you so far, as the team at DragTimes found out for themselves.
Would this race be a close-run thing or a total slam-dunk?
Here’s what happened when a Tesla Model S Plaid went up against a McLaren 750S
This showdown took place at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida.
In one lane, there was a modified McLaren 750S, decked out with 720S downpipes, upgraded turbos, E85 fuel, new injectors, and turbo inlets.
It was capable of producing 1,000hp and ran on 21-inch street wheels.
Opposing it was a Tesla Model S Plaid, driven by the host, and equipped with the official Tesla Track Pack, ceramic brakes, and lowering springs.
Given that it was also capable of 1,000hp, this seemed like an even match on paper.
Would things turn out that way on the track?
On the first race of three, it was a fumble for the Tesla driver as he failed to launch properly.
This was all because he’d forgotten to engage Dragstrip Mode, meaning the car wouldn’t enter launch control.
It was an easy victory for the McLaren.
But there was redemption up for grabs in the second round, where the Model S got a significant jump right from the get-go.
Despite the valiant efforts of the 720S’s driver, this was the race that drew them to equal scores.
You know what that means – it was all to play for in the third and final round.
It all came down to this last round – but which driver would win it?
In the final push, the 750s broke into the eight-second bracket, completing the 1/4 mile at 8.9 seconds.
This was significant, as the car would usually be considered within the 9-second range.
But as impressive as that was, the Tesla still seized victory on this one and won overall.
It was a real nail-biter, and both drivers did their utmost.
We can’t help but love it when cars go head-to-head in drag races like this.
And it’s not unusual to see a Tesla participating – something about the brand must scratch a competitive itch in the brains of other brand owners.
Whether it’s up against a Chevy Corvette Z51, a Dodge Charger Daytona, or a BYD Sealion 7, it seems that everyone wants to push the American EV brand to its limit.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
