Tesla Slams Top Performance Cars

Once again, Tesla accomplished something many thought was impossible. The Model S P90D, a

seven-seat electric car, actually accelerates faster than sports models from Ferrari, Lamborghini

and Bugatti. The tests were completed by Motor Trend Magazine, an impartial judge that may

have been just as surprised as the Italians to see those perennial dream cars left in the dust.

In the tests, the all-wheel-drive P90D went from 0 to 60 in a mind-melting 2.6 seconds. By

comparison, the average five-seat family sedan accomplishes the same feat in roughly 8 seconds.

And the competitors? The Lamborghini Aventador ($400K) and the Bugatti Veyron ($2 million)

are both two-seater sports cars, ultimate automotive indulgences. Neither of these supercars

could match the Tesla in the speed test.

Sure, the P90D isn’t the fastest car in the planet. There are a few faster models, including hybrid

Ferraris and Porshes … but both of these come at a much dearer price tag.

According to the spec, the base price for the Tesla Model S P90D fully electric supercar,

equipped with Tesla’s humorously named “Ludicrous Mode” software, is about $120,000. For

that price, you get 762 horsepower from twin batteries, one for the front wheels and one for the

rear.

Of course, no one should be lining the Tesla up for the biggest trophy quite yet. There are several

vehicles that could beat them in a full out race, even if the Tesla is faster off the line. Teslas have

been shown to be weak at cornering and have a tendency to lose power as the batteries heat up. If

Tesla engineers can fix these nagging issues, the era of electric racecars may be closer than ever.

For pure car enthusiasts, two phenomena experienced in the high performance full electric cars

are unique, and can be off-putting. Out of the blocks, the car accelerates faster than freefall,

giving the driver a true shot out of cannon feeling. Then there’s the audio component. There

really isn’t one. One of the pure joys of high-performance driving is the whine of the engine

accelerating, grinding through the gears. Tesla’s all-electric models are nearly silent, offering

what can best be described as an eerie feeling, like being in a spaceship blasting to warp in zero

G’s.

While the world at large may not quite be ready for the All Electric Experience, every time Tesla

makes the news, that day draws closer.

Elie Hirschfeld is a real estate developer.