Ever since its introduction, the Tesla Model S Plaid has been part of the conversation when talking about insanely fast cars, and rightfully so. In fact, we’ve seen too many Model S Plaid drag races, enough to say that it is undeniably a force to be reckoned with regarding straight-line speed.
The Audi R8 isn’t the first car we’d mention if we’re talking about worthy Model S Plaid drag race contenders – at least in stock form. When tuned, it appears that the R8 has what it takes to beat the top-spec Tesla, and this video from Drag Times on YouTube is proof of that.
In the video we embedded above, you’ll see Brooks’ Model S Plaid and a tuned Audi R8. The Model S Plaid, of course, makes over 1,000 horsepower and gobs of instantaneous torque from all of its three electric motors. It runs on all fours and at the time of the race, it had a 90 percent charge on its battery.
The R8, however, has been turbocharged, which was something that the automaker considered before. The force induction boosted the mid-engine supercar to around 1,300 wheel hp or nearly 1,400 hp at the crank. That’s a major advantage for the Audi, plus the fact that the R8 is 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) lighter than the porky, battery-powered EV.
As expected, the Tesla Model S Plaid beat the R8 at the line with its instant pull and got a headstart on the German coupe. However, the drag strip was just too long for the Tesla as the R8 was able to catch up before the end of the quarter mile and ultimately won the first round.
Despite the Model S Plaid getting an incredible mid-9s for the quarter-mile sprint, the R8 was even quicker, which was mind-blowing. Was it the same story for the second run? Watch the video to find out plus check out the surprise runs toward the end of the video.
