When it comes to going fast in a drag race, there’s no substitute for torque.
A car like the Tesla Model 3 that delivers a lot of torque instantly will always have an advantage in a drag race over even one of the most powerful cars on the road, the Dodge Charger Hellcat. Despite giving up significant power to the Hellcat, the Model 3 smokes it off the line in the above drag race time and time again.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system which powers it to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds (100 km/h in 3.4 seconds). The Dodge Charger Hellcat is powered by a massive 6.2-litre V8 Hemi which delivers 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. That’s a lot of torque, but it peaks at 4,800 RPM. By then, the Model 3 is already halfway down the line.
The Model 3 completed the quarter-mile run in 11.78 seconds at 114.15 mph while the Charger Hellcat did it in 12.15 seconds at 124.46 mph. That tells us that the Charger Hellcat was gaining and would eventually catch the Model 3, but as we all know, it doesn’t matter if you win by a mile. Winning’s winning.
