Porsche Taycan & Tesla Model S Compete In A Drag Race & Handling Test

Originally published on X Auto.
by Iqtidar Ali | @IqtidarAlii

The first Porsche Taycan drag race has been recorded, and with none other than its main arch rival — the Tesla Model S. German TV channel VOX runs a car enthusiast program named “Auto Mobil.” The recent episode that aired on this Sunday featured the drag race and a handling test comparison of both cars.

Top-of-the-line variants for both electric cars were used for the drag race and handling tests, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S vs. Tesla Model S P100D with “launch control” and “Ludicrous Mode,” respectively.

Before we jump to the video, here’s a brief performance spec comparison table between the Taycan Turbo S and Model S P100D that gives us a glimpse of how these rivals stand up against each other on paper.

That drag race was not very convincing, but Porsche Taycan surely wins in the handling department. On paper and in the real world, the Model S P100D is still the quickest production car in a straight line, and the Model S loss needs to be credited to the driver here.

It looks like the Porsche Taycan caught up later on in the drag race and left the Model S behind, but the driver factor is there, a very old man was put into a Ludicrous Mode Tesla — it is not clear if he was able to fully utilize the car’s performance in this race.

Porsche Taycan holds a long legacy of driver-centric cars in its DNA. Undoubtedly, the German automaker’s vast experience creating ultimate driving machines gives it an edge on the race track. Besides being heavier than a Tesla Model S P100D, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S has more nimble and precise handling.

Perhaps Tesla was aware that it was facing a tough new rival and therefore came up with a Tri-Motor Tesla Model S (currently two are prototypes being tested at the Nürburgring race track) — which is capable of an even quicker launch and 0–60 mph time, faster than the Ludicrous speed, “Plaid.”

It is just the start of Model S Performance vs. Taycan Turbo and Turbo S racing videos. As soon as Taycan sales go up, we will witness more interesting events and races being held by the Tesla and Porsche communities. Stay tuned!