because I probably should have mentioned
this isn't the regular model three this
is the fast one
the 444 horsepower 48 model 3
performance this is the car but Tesla
boss Elon Musk boasted was quicker than
a bmw m3 with better handling the car
that will beat anything in its class on
the track that is quite some claim Elon
time then for a test against the
ultimate fast saloons from Mercedes AMG
the c63 s
from Alfa Romeo the Julia QV and of
course from BMW
the m3 first up a drag race with a
difference we're so used to Tesla's
being fast in a straight line now but in
my experience electric cars are really
quick off the line but above 100 they
tend to get caught by piston engine cars
so I've made the drag race a bit longer
half a mile twice the normal distance
and when outside the usual Tesla
stomping ground
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60 takes 3.2 seconds they're not closing
it I'm still pulling away
oh no the birds coming back at me
1:30 the votes coming back at me here he
comes
here we go
oh just got me at the end oh so it's a
wind for petrol but only just an only
north of 120 let's not forget in the
real world even the fastest saloon
wouldn't see which way the Tesla went
this is the traffic light King this
thing
it's an ak-47 disguised as a butter
knife next test then and this time it's
the hastily assembled top gear handling
circuit fastest through the cones wins
and with petrol at first I had chosen
the ideal car to lay down the gauntlet
me beautiful
alfa romeo giulia Quadrifoglio i drove
it here once before it beaten m3 and
frankly i love driving
away
and we'll turn right sharp into here
this is the wetted bit really is quite
slippery
sliding out right off now the slalom I
love this thing it feels so direct
agile quick steering I love the fact
that is engaging me and the noise is
making come on
the nimble Julia clocked a one-minute
four point eight seconds so what can the
Tesla do they just gutes off the line
but it rolls more I'm falling out of the
seat
God has been softer lazier than the
Alpha I can carry less spirit of a field
of maps it's ugly not as controlled as
the alpha but then when you get into the
acceleration zone immediately it fires
out 104 point eight to beat come on
now that is an impressive half a second
quicker than the Alpha and it's all
because it just squirts out of the
corners actually in the corners it has
less balance and it doesn't use its
tires effectively for me but ultimately
a car that looks like a very fast fridge
it's quicker than the Alpha that's
supposed to be the performance car the
world's gone mad so the model three
really does live up to the boss's boast
as fast faster even than the very best
of petrol yes there are things that the
old fossil fuel burners still do better
and if you want your performance saloon
to be fun as well as fast then the Tesla
isn't quite there yet
but it's not far off the model 3 really
does feel like a turning you see that's
pretty much everything as well as a
petrol car but without burning a drop of
fuel it's a big moment in the history of
the motorcar the electric future is
happening right now
and it's happening very very very fast
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