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Model S Plaid vs C8 Corvette with Z51 Package
Now if this was even a fair battle is debatable. However, there is a twist in the mix. Read on to find out what it is
by Khris Bharath, onAccler8, recently pitted a Tesla Model S Plaid against a C8 Corvette. Yes, yes, the Plaid has been mega at the drag strip ever since it went on sale earlier this year. So, with less than 500 horses in the C8 to 1000 in the Plaid, was this even fair? Well, there’s a twist to this one. Let’s see how this pans out.
Tesla Model S Plaid
In the black corner, we have a stock 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid, sitting on standard 19” wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires. Now, considering the ambient temperature was 10 c (50 F), these tires weren’t ideal on such a cold day. Anyway, moving on, as you already know by now, the Plaid famously packs 1021 horsepower and produces 1050 pound-feet of torque, from its tri-motor AWD setup.
You’ve got a bunch of modes to choose from and Mike from Accler8 has set this one into drag strip mode, which requires about 15 minutes to prep the car prior to launch.
C8 Chevy Corvette Stingray with Z51 Package
Meanwhile, in the white corner, we have Morgan Crosbie’s C8 Stingray, that’s sitting on all-season tires. Under the hood lies a 6.2 liter naturally aspirated V-8 engine that produces 495 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque.
This example is even rocking the optional Z51 package (that’ll cost you around five more grand) which adds more aggressive performance and aero bits like a rear wing and a front splitter, better cooling, performance brakes, a performance exhaust, and a limited-slip differential. The C8 of course is mid-engined, which should help with traction as it sends power to the rear wheels.
Round 1
With the batteries warmed up, Mike was ready in the Plaid. The hammer drops and they’re off. Mike had anticipated that the Tesla would struggle for traction, however, that wasn’t the case. Instead, it did its usual thing and was off leaving the Corvette behind.
The Plaid took the win by a big margin, however, when it came to getting the thing to slow down, now that was scary. Weighing in at 4766 pounds, the Plaid deserves some performance brakes. This C8 weighs 3534 pounds and does some with performance brakes, thanks to the Z51 package.
Round 2
Now for the second pass, Mike and Morgan decide to give the C8, a two-second head start, to see if that makes a difference. They line up once more for launch. The Stingray is off first and two seconds later, mike sets off in hot pursuit in the Plaid. However, the C8s pace was great and although the Tesla was beginning to reel in the Vette, there just wasn’t enough space and the Chevy took this round.
Again, getting the C8 to slow down was no problem, but Tesla struggled once again to come to a halt. Thankfully Mike managed to get things under control and the pair turn around for one final pass.
Round 3
For the third round, the Plaid takes a step back and switched it down to Sport mode to see what kind of power it offers. They line up one last time and before you know it, they’re off. For brief moments, the two cars are neck and neck, before once again, the Plaid begins to pull on the C8, going on to take round three. Even the Sport mode on the Plaid is pretty potent.
Conclusion
So, was this a fair battle? You be the judge. Now the Tesla is cool and everything, but common, you’ve can’t dismiss the C8, especially for the kind of performance it offers for the money. I can’t wait to watch the Plaid take on the C8 Z06 on a hot summer day. Watch this space.
You can watch the race in the video below
