The Tesla Model S P100D Redeems Itself, Soundly Beats The Mercedes-AMG E63 S In 1/4 Mile Race
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Tesla Model S P100D, the holy grail of fast, relatively attainable mass-market EVs, was soundly beaten by the McLaren 720S. That was a sad day for EV fans, as the P100D did not stand a chance as soon as the supercar began shifting its gears. Today, however, the lightning-fast electric sedan has redeemed itself on the track, soundly beating a Mercedes-AMG E63 S in the quarter-mile.
The race, which was held by Top Gear, featured the Mercedes-AMG E63 S saloon going head-to-head with the Tesla Model S P100D. The race was a quarter-mile, a competition that the Tesla usually dominates. Despite this, however, the E63 S was not an easy opponent. During Top Gear’s previous races, the massive, heavy, German-made saloon finished the quarter-mile right on the tail of the Nissan GT-R, a two-door sports car that is known in the auto community as Godzilla.
The raw specs of the Mercedes-AMG E63 S are no joke, either. Powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces 604bhp and 626lb-ft of torque at 2,500-4,500 rpm, the E63 S has a lot of power to spare. This power enables the vehicle to hit the 60mph mark in under 3.2 seconds and the 100mph mark in just 7.2 seconds.
While the 0-60mph time of the E63 S is less impressive than the Tesla Model S P100D Ludicrous’ sub 3-second time, the Mercedes-AMG has one particular advantage that was also present in the McLaren 720S — the E63 S hits its stride fast, and when it does, it should be able to catch up to the P100D.
One thing that the Mercedes-AMG E63 S did not have against Tesla, however, was a massive weight advantage. While the Model S P100D was still significantly heavier than the E63 S, the German-made vehicle is nonetheless far heavier than the McLaren 720S that soundly beat the Tesla. The results of this weight difference became apparent as soon as the race began.
Just like its previous races against ICE cars, the Tesla immediately pulled ahead and refused to let go. As could be seen in Top Gear’s video, which could be viewed here, the EV ultimately finished the quarter-mile race in 11.08 seconds, significantly quicker than the E63 S’s 11.35 seconds.
The race was not a complete domination by the P100D, however, as the EV was tagged at 124mph by the time it hit the quarter-mile mark. The Mercedes-AMG, on the other hand, was already accelerating at 126.1mph at that point. Thus, had the race gone on longer, the ICE vehicle would likely have caught up to the electric family sedan.
Despite this, however, the result of the race is still good news for the EV community. This latest race is, if any, a lot fairer than other competitions that the Model S P100D participated in. This time, it was a race between two heavy, four-door family saloons of the same class, and ultimately, the P100D came out on top.
[Featured Image by Tesla]
