This is the Tesla Model S P85D, which could just be the fastest four-door saloon in the
world.
Featuring two electric motors – one for each axle – the four-wheel drive Tesla pumps
out a mind-boggling 691bhp and a monumental 600Nm of torque.
All this power costs a fraction under £85,000 – although this car will set you back the
thick end of £100,000.
So just how fast is the P85D?
Well, Tesla claim it will blast from 0-60mph in just 3.1 seconds and hits an electronic
limiter at 155mph.
And all this in eerie electric silence.
So the Tesla should be pretty much unbeatable in a drag race.
However, there is another high performance four-door saloon that’s pretty tasty in
a straight line.
The Porsche Panamera Turbo S. On paper the Porsche needs 3.8 seconds for the 0-62mph
sprint and continues accelerating until it hits its 192mph.
Under the skin the Panamera relies on old-fashioned internal combustion technology.
Its bellowing twin-turbo 4.8-litre produces 562bhp and a staggering 750Nm of torque.
The Porsche puts all this power down through a seven-speed twin clutch gearbox that’s
mated to a four-wheel drive transmission.
And the cost of all this complexity?
A whisker over £132,000.
So which is really the fastest?
To find out we hooked up our GPS timing equipment and pitched our duo head-to-head in a 0-100mph
drag race.
And as a final twist we wanted to see which one could come to a stop in the shortest distance.
OK, so here we are ready to go.
Both cars are essentially four wheel drive but the Porsche has the advantage of launch
control.
The Tesla doesn’t have that but it does have Insane acceleration mode which I’m
going to engage now.
Yep, there we go.
All set, let’s see how we get on.
Already the Porsche has the lead but its level pegging and he’s pulling away.
Oh my word.
Now it’s brakes, brakes, brakes, brakes.
Now that was close on the acceleration but the Porsche just stops so much quicker.
Man alive this thing is fast but the Porsche is even faster.
Just off the line you get pushed back in your seat – it’s incredible the traction.
But above 85mph it just starts to tail off and the Porsche gets into its stride.
On the brakes, those carbon ceramics on the Porsche are incredible - the ability to stop
is amazing.
The Tesla is no slouch on the brakes but I’m surprised by how much more distance it needed
to stop.
So the Porsche was the clear winner.
But exactly how fast were our contenders?
Well, the Panamera covered 0-60 in just 3.4 seconds, 0-100 in 8.2 seconds and needed only
90.8 metres to stop from 100mph – you can thank the car’s excellent standard carbon
ceramic brakes for that eye-popping display of stopping power.
The Tesla wasn’t quite as quick, but it was hardly a slouch.
There was a hesitation off the line, almost as if the electric motors took a deep breath,
but once moving it cracked 60 in 3.6 seconds, 100 in 9.2 and came to a stop in 98.1 metres
- 7.3 metres more than the Porsche.
So, in the final reckoning, the Porsche had the legs of the Tesla.
It was faster to 60, it was faster to 100 and it stopped in a shorter distance.
But don't underestimate the Tesla, because it's a seriously impressive piece of kit.
For an electric car to rival a Porsche Panamera Turbo S on acceleration, emit zero emissions
from its tailpipe and go 300 miles between recharges, is a staggering achievement.