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So I'm at a stop light on a 4-lane road and I see a Tesla X pull up behind. As I go, the Tesla quickly darts to the left lane and plans to smoke me. Feeling slightly insulted (I am driving an R after all), I hit it. I'm struggling for traction and this Tesla is smoking me! I was shocked. So at about 40 mph, equilibrium occurs, and at about 60, I've pulled even. Then, it's nothing but increasing pull away by the R until we quit at around 85.
I had no idea what a P100D version was, but I do now. That's one quick car! Quicker, but not faster than my R.
A couple things...
1. Again, that's the S. This was the X.
2. This software update just got announced and is not obviously in the car I saw yesterday. The 0-60 for the high end P100D X is 3.2. The article says the software update will improve that by 0.1.
Electric propulsion torque is a hard match-up for IC engines with their reciprocating parts, torque problems at low RPMs, and multiple shift points to get to 60 MPH or through the 1/4 mile.
After the "drag", I'm still ahead since as I said, I reeled him in starting at about 40 mph. We both get into the 2-lane left-hand turn lane. He pulls next to me and I smile and give him my best Motumbo finger wag.
I ask how that car is so quick (still don't know it's a P100D) and he says it goes 0-60 in 3.2 but my car will pull away all day long at higher speeds (which it did).
Later down the road after the turn, I am again next to him and cup my hand to my ear as in Listen, and turn Dynamic on and hit it. He gives a thumbs up.
We ended up both going to the same event a town away and talked about both cars for another 5 minutes. He says the battery drains very quickly when he hits it like we did. I said so does my gas tank!
The Teslas with their electric motors are instant torque converters. VERY few internal combustion engine cars can run with a Tesla 0-60mph. Where the Teslas lose their edge is in a longer race.
Their batteries cannot sustain more than 2-3 "hard runs" before they go into "slowdown mode". This is to prevent battery overheating.
I just read in Car and Driver that the Tesla S 100 ran the same time on a 4.1 mile track as a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The reason is that the software would restrict performance to keep from melting down.
So like any car, Teslas have their strengths and weaknesses. Just like my old pick up truck is VASTLY superior to my XKR when it comes time to move furniture
I would take quick over fast any day. There are 4-cyl stock cars doing 0-60 in 4.1 (CLA45) now.
The Hellcat is a brute at speed but a clumsy beast getting started. Especially vs AWD, it must be accepted that as stop light warrior (sans mods/d-radials) there are a lot of better suited cars.
As far as Teslas - although I respected some of the tech and love the giant LED display - it is a feminine car and not for me.
Even if the Tesla could stay up with you all the way, he likely wanted to hear your exhaust note after driving his silent golf cart all day, so would need to stay behind.
Anyway, its interesting that the battery can only take a few hard accelerations .. as noted in an earlier post, every car has its strengths and weakness.
11-16-2016, 06:38 PM
My Run vs a Tesla X P100D
