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Tesla P85D Drag Races A Lamborghini Aventador: Video

This might be the best test so far of the raw performance potential of electricity vs. petrol: a Tesla P85D Model S racing a Lamborghini Aventador.

For starters, both the Tesla P85D and the Lamborghini Aventador produce 691 HP exactly. Both have all-wheel-drive, as well. And both weigh in-excess of 4,000 pounds – though at 4,936, the Tesla P85D and its hefty battery pack suffer from a handicap of about 850.

While looking at the cars’ respective 0 to 60 times might preemptively diminish any satisfaction of viewing the drag race – 3.2 seconds for the Tesla, versus 2.9 for the Lamborghini – tested numbers don’t provide the whole story. With no gears to shift through, the Tesla P85D has an advantage almost big enough to compensate for its weight excess. And with the inherent immediate torque characteristics of an electric motor, the Tesla ought to have a sizable advantage off the line.

Watching the video, this indeed proves to be the case, as the Tesla P85D whirs effortlessly into the lead just after launch. Surprisingly, it holds that advance for several moments while the Lamborghini’s 6.5 liter V12 runs through the first several gears. But in the end, the Aventador’s weight advantage and gearing result in a clear win.

Still, the Tesla P85D demonstrates that “going electric” needn’t mean sacrificing straight-line performance. In fact, quite the opposite. We look forward to an electric-petrol rematch as soon as engineers have designed a gearbox that can withstand the monstrous torque of electric motors like those found on the Tesla P85D. Or maybe when its batteries have lost some weight.

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.

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