Tesla Plaid Owner Learns The Hard Way It Can’t Keep Up With A Corvette

Car enthusiasts love comparing vehicle performance, especially when you can see it play out on a drag strip. A YouTube video recently went viral of a very unlikely matchup: a Tesla Model S Plaid versus a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X. In the video shared by DragTimes, the ZR1X took on three Model S Plaids in the quarter mile at the TX2K event at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. 

The first Tesla Model S Plaid driver wasn’t sure if he’d beat the ZR1X, but he felt it would be really close. However, it was clear from the launch that it wasn’t close at all — the ZR1X left the Plaid far behind. The ZR1X was able to get up to 60 miles per hour in 1.95 seconds, beating the Plaid’s 2.26 seconds. The ZR1X finished the quarter mile in 8.92 seconds, hitting nearly 154 miles per hour. The Plaid finished in 9.65 seconds, with a top speed of 140 mph. It was a similar story with the other two Plaids. 

The Corvette ZR1X and the Model S Plaid that raced that day were both stock with all-season tires, meaning the quarter mile race was a true indicator of the vehicles’ performance without enhancements. To be fair to the Model S Plaid, it beat the Corvette ZR1 in a previous video due to its incredible speed, which is why Brooks Weisblat took out the ZR1X, which pairs the twin-turbo 5.5L LT7 V8 engine with a front-axle electric motor for 1,250 horsepower. That’s more than the Plaid’s tri-motor setup, which produces 1,020 hp. The Plaid is also 4,802 pounds (about 1,000 more than the ZR1X).

With more horsepower and a lighter weight, it’s no surprise that the ZR1X had a faster launch. The Plaid still impressed since it had 70,000 miles on it and 85% battery. EVs slightly slow down over time. 

The Tesla Model S Plaid has a top speed of 163 mph without the added $20,000 Track Package while the ZR1X can reach 225 mph. With the ZR1X already ahead, it’s no surprise that it was able to remain far ahead of the Plaid as they raced down the track. While the Plaid is so fast that it was previously banned from NHRA races, the Plaid was no match for what Corvette considers a track-focused “hypercar.”