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The Tesla Model S Plaid was probably sh*tting bricks when it saw the Ferrari SF90 Stradale as its drag strip legacy was in danger!
by Sidd Dhimaan, onBrooks from ‘DragTimes’ has come up with yet another Tesla Model S Plaid race, but for once, its legacy is at stake. So far, the Plaid has remained pretty much unbeatable, except for losing to the Rimac Nevera. This time, it faces the Ferrari SF90 Stradale – a hybrid car that makes close to 1,000 horses and is significantly lighter than the Plaid, thus giving it a better power-to-weight ratio. Will the SF90 Stradale prove to be the Plaid’s nemesis as long as it lives?
The Model S Plaid Is The Underdog Here
The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is powered by a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine and three electric motors assisting it. Combined, the powerplant produces 986 ponies and 590 pound-feet of twist.
Power is routed to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The car is free from mods and rides on Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tires.
The Tesla Model S Plaid comes with a tri-motor setup that puts out 1,020 horsepower combined.
All four wheels are powered by a single-speed transmission here. The Plaid’s weapon of destruction is its linear power throw.
You have almost all the horses available at your disposal from around 70 mph to its top speed of 200 mph. The Plaid also doesn’t have any mods and rides on Michelin Pilot 4S tires. Brooks noted that the EV had a 92-percent charge before the races began.
The SF90 Stradale weighs 3,550 pounds, which brings the weight-to-power ratio to 3.65 pounds/horsepower. The Model S Plaid, on the other hand, is a much heavier beast, weighing in at 4,833 pounds. This gives it a weight-to-power ratio of 4.73 pounds/horsepower.
Race 1 and 2 of 5
In the first drag race, the Model S Plaid jumped the line and the SF90 Stradale didn’t shift in its final gears. The Tesla jumped the light the second time as well, but so did the Ferrari. In the second race, Plaid completed the quarter-mile run in 9.367 seconds at 150.01 mph, whereas the Stradale did it in 9.650 seconds at 145.69 mph. The Ferrari gets the win here because the Tesla’s reaction time was -.166 seconds; worse than the Ferrari’s -.013 second time.
Winner in both the races (by disqualification) – Ferrari SF90 Stradale
Race 3 of 5
This was the first fair start and was insanely close. Brooks’ reaction time in the Ferrari was better and the Tesla had a hard time catching up. In the end, they were almost on par, but the Tesla won the race.As for the official timings, the Model S Plaid took 9.363 seconds at 147.81 mph, whereas the SF90 Stradale completed the race in 9.590 seconds at 147.09 mph.
Winner – Tesla Model S Plaid
Race 4 of 5
The fourth race belonged to the Plaid from the second the lights turned green. The Ferrari was a tad bit slower to kick-off and couldn’t get past the Plaid at any point. The gap between the two only increased as they approached the finish line. The Ferrari took 9.592 seconds with a trap speed of 147.05 mph to complete the race. The Tesla finished the quarter-mile race in 9.361 seconds at 147.96 mph.
Winner – Tesla Model S Plaid
Race 5 of 5
Another close start, but the EV was too much for the Italian hybrid. It won the race fair and square. The SF90 touched the finish line in 9.619 seconds at 146.35 mph and the Plaid took 9.386 seconds with a trap speed of 149.58 mph.
Winner – Tesla Model S Plaid
Conclusion
Well, this was quite close but the Ferrari couldn’t get the wins in legitimate races. The end result was 3-2, with the two wins coming via disqualifications. Brooks mentioned that with a different set of tires and better weather conditions, the Ferrari could have off .2 to .3 seconds of its quarter-mile time. That would bring it very close to the Plaid’s time. Perhaps, we can see that rematch in the future.
What are your thoughts on this race? Watch the video below and share them with us in the comments section.
