Top Gear again tries to prove Elon wrong with the new Model 3 drag race
Top Gear is still eager to prove Elon Musk wrong on his statement that the Model 3 Performance will beat anything in its class on the race track — just last month they took it on the race track against a BMW M3 Competition for a variety of races which the Model 3 won by a score of 3-1.
This humiliation of a performance petrol car made by a giant automaker was not enough, now they came up with another idea, put it against three competitors and it will not be a quarter-mile drag but a ‘half-mile’ stretch, this should prove the supremacy of the gasoline-burning internal combustion engine, right?
The start of the short race video shows Elon’s last statement written on the road (again), now the fun begins, three tough gas monsters aka Mercedes AMG C63 S, BMW M3, and Alfa Romeo Giulia roar with their noisy tailpipes besides emitting life-threatening fumes, however, the race is a race and the clean and emissions-free Model 3 still takes on these traditional cars albeit their bad smell.
Let’s first go through some important performance specs of all of the four cars before looking at the race, this will give us an idea of what kind of foes the Tesla Model 3 is facing here.
Tesla Model 3 vs. BMW M3, Merc AMG C63 S, and Alfa Giulia Specs | ||||
| Options / Features | Tesla Model 3 Performance | BMW M3 | Mercedes AMG C63 S | Alfa Romeo Giulia QV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $59,900 | $66,500 | $74,600 | $73,995 |
| Power | 444 bhp | 425 bhp | 503 bhp | 505 bhp |
| Torque | 471 lb-ft (instant) | 406 lb-ft | 516 lb-ft | 443 lb-ft |
| Curb Weight | 1,850 kg (4,079 lbs) | 1560 kg (3,440 lbs) | 1,769 kg (3,900 lbs) | 1,726 kg (3,806 lbs) |
| 0-60 mph | 3.2 sec | 4.1 sec | 3.8 sec | 3.8 sec |
| Top Speed | 162 mph (260 km/h) | 171 mph (275 km/h) | 180 mph (289.6 km/h) | 191 mph (307 km/h) |
| Range | 310 miles (134 MPGe) | 34.0 mpg | 18 mpg | 20 mpg |
| Transmission | Single-speed 4WD | 7-speed DCT Auto RWD | MCT 9-speed Auto Transmission | 8-speed Auto Transmission |
| Emissions | 0 | 285 g/km | 227 g/km | 206 g/km |
OK, the Tesla Model 3 lost this race to the Merc AMG C63 S by a fraction of a second but does it matter in the real world? Does it dethrone Model 3 from being the most disruptive car of the 21st century yet? the answer is plain NO!
The drag race conducted here was half a mile long opposed to the normal 1/4 mile drag race, the AMG being the most powerful car in terms of horsepower and top-speed as we can see in the above specs takes a little margin over the Model 3 in the longer chase, in a 1/4 mile drag all these three would’ve been history, but that’s not the point.
We have included carbon emissions figures for all the competitors above as well, except for the Model 3, the BMW, Merc, and Giulia are polluting our planet and taking an active part in destroying lives globally, therefore recently Government of London has decided to end internal combustion engine cars from the city in the coming decades.
In this same episode, Top Gear admits that the Tesla Model 3 is disrupting the car industry and this car is actually practical, No they couldn’t prove Elon Musk and Tesla’s mission wrong with a foolish little race!
Related:
- Tesla Model 3 battles BMW M3 on the race track on Top Gear show
- Watch Tesla Model 3 Performance ace the Nürburgring race track
- Tesla Model 3 AWD vs. BMW M2 Competition real-world driving experience comparison
- Top Gear takes us on a joyride from Tesla factory to Model Y event in a Model 3 Performance
- Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on Tesla Model X P100DL, McLaren 570S and a Camaro SS in 1/4 mile drags
- Tesla Model X P100D drag races against a 6.5L V12 Ferrari 812 Superfast
- World’s quietest drag race: Jaguar I-Pace vs Tesla Model X 100D & P100D
- Compare Tesla Model 3 exterior dimensions with competing Sedans and EVs
- Watch all drag race videos
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