Drag Race: 1,000hp BMW M3 vs 1,000hp Tesla Model S Plaid

Summary

The video features a quarter-mile drag race between a heavily modified 1,039 horsepower BMW M3 and a Tesla Model S Plaid making over 1,000 horsepower. After an initial loss, the Tesla comes back to tie the BMW in a photo finish quarter-mile run. The Tesla wins a rolling race but loses in top speed. Surprisingly, the much heavier Tesla also beats the BMW in two brake tests. Both high-powered electric and petrol cars have strengths and weaknesses, making for an exciting and close overall competition.

Takeaways

• 😲 They raced a 1,200 horsepower Tesla Model S Plaid against a heavily modified 1,039 horsepower BMW M3 Competition
• 🚗 The M3 Competition has been modified by Tom Wrigley Performance to make over 1,000 horsepower
• 🏎 On a prepped surface, the M3 can do 0-60 mph in 2 sec and a quarter mile in 9.3 sec
• 👀 In the first race, the M3 got a better start and beat the Tesla by about 1 second
• 🔋 The Tesla wasn't at peak battery performance in the first race
• ⚡ After warming up properly, the Tesla beat the M3 in the second race by a lot due to a bad M3 launch
• 🥇 The final race was incredibly close with a photo finish, but the Tesla narrowly won
• 🏁 The M3 won the rolling race due to its higher top speed
• 💨 Surprisingly, the much heavier Tesla stopped over a car length shorter in braking tests
• 😃 Both cars are insanely quick, but have tradeoffs - the Tesla needs warmup, the M3 needs special fuel

Q & A

What cars are racing in this video?

A Tesla Model S Plaid is racing against a modified BMW M3 Competition.

How much horsepower does the Tesla have?

The Tesla has 1,020 horsepower from its 3 electric motors.

How much horsepower does the BMW have?

The modified BMW makes 1,039 horsepower.

What modifications were done to the BMW?

It has a built engine, upgraded turbos, cooling system, and exhaust to produce over 1,000 horsepower.

What was the result of the first race?

The BMW won the first race by about 1 second.

What happened in the second race?

The Tesla won the second race due to a bad launch by the BMW.

What was the result of the final race?

It was a photo finish draw between the Tesla and BMW in the final race.

Which car won the rolling race?

The BMW won the rolling race due to its higher top speed.

Which car stopped better in the brake test?

The Tesla won the brake test by over a car length.

What charity was the BMW driver representing?

The BMW driver represented a charity called Race to Save Lives.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Tesla vs BMW drag race introduction

The first paragraph introduces a drag race between a Tesla Model S Plaid with 1,020 horsepower and a heavily modified BMW M3 Competition making 1,039 horsepower. It describes the Tesla's performance specs and mentions previous races where it beat other high-performance cars.

05:01

🏁 Quarter mile drag race begins

The second paragraph details the first quarter mile drag race between the Tesla and BMW. The BMW gets a better start and wins by half a second. The Tesla's battery was not preconditioned so it was not in peak performance mode.

10:03

⚡ Second race after battery warmup

The third paragraph covers the second quarter mile race after the Tesla battery was warmed up. This time the Tesla gets a better start and beats the BMW by over a second. The BMW had a bad launch which was not a fair comparison.

🥇 Final deciding race

The fourth paragraph describes the final deciding quarter mile race. It was incredibly close with the cars neck and neck. The Tesla pulled ahead initially but the BMW caught up at the end to win by a very small margin. A photo finish was required to determine the winner.

🏎 BMW wins rolling race

The fifth paragraph covers a rolling race starting at speed. The BMW pulls ahead of the Tesla which is limited to 165 mph in this mode. The BMW's higher horsepower allows it to continue accelerating beyond the Tesla's limit.

⚠️ Tesla wins brake test

The sixth paragraph describes a brake test between the cars. The heavier Tesla stops over a car length shorter than the BMW, winning the brake test.

Keywords

💡Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S is an electric luxury sedan made by Tesla. It is one of the cars featured in the drag race video. The Tesla Model S Plaid used in the video has 1,020 horsepower from 3 electric motors, allowing it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 2 seconds. The video compares the performance of the high-powered electric Tesla against modified high-performance gas cars.

💡horsepower

Horsepower (hp) is a measurement of engine power and performance. The video emphasizes the horsepower figures for the Tesla Model S Plaid (1,020 hp), the modified BMW M3 (1,039 hp), and the Porsche and Audi cars (>700 hp) to showcase their extreme performance capabilities relevant to the drag race theme.

💡drag race

A drag race is a competition between vehicles to determine which one is the fastest in a short distance, straight-line race. The video features a quarter-mile and half-mile drag race between the Tesla Model S and the modified BMW M3 to compare their acceleration and top speeds.

💡rolling race

A rolling race starts with the cars already moving at speed rather than a standing start. This tests the cars' acceleration capabilities at highway speeds. The video includes a rolling race between the Tesla and BMW from 50 mph to show that the BMW's extra horsepower helps it pull ahead.

💡brake test

A brake test demonstrates how quickly a car can come to a stop from high speed. The video shows brake tests between the Tesla and BMW, unexpectedly revealing that the heavier Tesla stops much shorter despite its weight disadvantage.

💡quarter mile time

The quarter mile time measures how quickly a car passes the quarter mile mark from a standstill start. It is a standard benchmark in drag racing. The video quotes quarter mile figures for both cars showing their extreme acceleration.

💡maximum speed

The maximum speed or top speed is the fastest a car can travel. The video mentions the Tesla reaching its max speed of 165 mph during the half-mile race, allowing the BMW with its higher max speed to catch up and win.

💡modified

Modified in the video means special performance upgrades and tuning done to the BMW M3 by an aftermarket shop to increase its horsepower and capabilities for racing.

💡gas car

Gas car refers to internal combustion engine vehicles fueled by gasoline, as opposed to electric cars like the Tesla which run on battery power. The video pits the Tesla against modified high-power gas cars.

💡performance

Performance encompasses acceleration, speed, handling and other metrics of dynamic capability for a car. The video focuses heavily on comparing the real-world performance between the Tesla and modified BMW through races and tests.

Highlights

Tesla Model S Plaid vs heavily modified BMW M3 competition in a drag race

The BMW M3 makes 1,039 horsepower with modified engine, turbos and exhaust

The Tesla needs time to condition the battery before reaching peak performance

First race - BMW gets a good start and gaps the Tesla by 1 second

Second race - Bad launch for BMW, Tesla takes the win

Final race - Neck and neck finish, BMW wins by a yard

Tesla won the quarter mile, BMW took the half mile

Rolling race - BMW able to keep pulling at high speed while Tesla tops out

First braking test - Surprisingly the Tesla stops much shorter

Second braking test - Same result confirms Tesla's superior braking

The modified BMW needs special fuel to make full power

The Tesla requires battery conditioning before unleashing full performance

Tesla had a slight edge in the standing mile

BMW's higher top speed allowed it to win the half mile

Tesla definitively had better braking capability

Transcripts

this is a Tesla Model S one of the

fastest cars on the planet 1,20

horsepower 3 electric motors and not to

60 in under 2 seconds you might remember

we let a Porsche tyan and Audi RS rron

GT tried to beat this car in a track

race and let's just say it didn't end

well go oh my god oh oh R he's got ahead

of me oh I'm actually winning I'm

actually winning I am not winning oh my

word that ter Tesla that car is so fast

look at

it Jesus that is nut So today we're

letting petrol have a go and we've put

the petrol into something very special a

BMW M3 competition but not just any M3

competition that thing has been modified

very heavily by Tom Wrigley performance

it makes

1,039 horsepower so this should be a

very very close

race qu mile 2,000 horsepower and a lot

that could go wrong well let's talk to

the man himself shall we Tom thanks for

bringing along that blue monster of

yours uh what have you actually done to

it yeah first of all thanks for inviting

us on the channel it's an absolute

pleasure to be here um so yeah this is

the stage 3 G80 M3 we've built um for

r44 performance built it together it's

features the main basically stage three

package water class on these cars so the

main features of that are a built engine

which we do in house in our Workshop in

oer stre some pure hybrid turbos a CSF

cooling package along with a full

exhaust from Grail today we'll be

running on ethanol so we'll be getting

the full 1,39 horsepower and uh I can't

wait to see what it's going to do it's

going to be

awesome it looks quite subtle I like the

way you've actually done it you haven't

gone too overboard on that um but

presumably it sounds quite nice can you

give it a little

rev when the vales open they sound

pretty epic but uh yeah the stylings all

down to r44 they do an epic job it's

nice clean look about it but with um

lots of nice sub bits of carbon and um

yeah we let the numbers do the

talking speaking of which have you done

a quarter mile running that before yeah

so this car was finished just in time to

get for the last few races of the Season

at Santa pod uh so on a fully prepped

surface it'll do not to 6 in 2 seconds

dead and a quar mile time of

9.3 um at4 45 mph I think it was so it

can definitely move today I don't think

we're going to quite get that power down

um what would it been a little bit

greasy but we'll see It'll be very

interesting obviously both cars have got

the same challenges to compete with so

it will be very

interesting all right mate I seen you

got your lid on so I'm going to do

exactly the same cuz this is going to be

a fast one uh so if you're ready we'll

do it yeah let's do it I feel I've got a

lot of pressure on my uh shoulders from

all the petrol heads here so um let's

see what we can do for them quite

nervous now actually I I don't know if I

even want to win against that car but we

got the Pinnacle of electric performance

certainly in a mass Market Arena um

against the Pinnacle of petrol

performance modified very heavily all

right so

typically my Tesla is now saying I need

19 minutes for it to reach Peak

Performance but we're not going to

listen to it we're just going to run it

anyway cuz let's face it in the real

world you're not going to sit around for

19 minutes so we're going to we're going

to run it the first time with the

battery cold because we had warmed it up

to be fair but now it's got cold again

while we chatted and it wants 19 minutes

again but we're going to run it and see

what happens all right yeah that's fine

me

mate okay

boost 3 2 1 go okay he's got a good

start I'm actually hanging with

him he's pulling away slightly actually

know he's pulling away quite a lot n

he's about two car lengths in front

we're doing 150 mph and he's

gaining he's actually gapped me he's

actually gapped me all right

so round one to

petrol I will say I wasn't in Peak

Performance but it was about a second

gap on that one good race though Tom how

did that feel yeah I just got so much

wheel spin I mean um normally these cars

shift automatically in the launch

sequence but it actually

um it didn't know what to do I think the

wheels just span out so violently that

it just um yeah it got a bit confused on

the gears but it was yeah it was still

ridiculous I mean I think it did add the

drag on then it still did a 9 9.74 Mile

so it's not too shabby not too shabby

indeed it's worth noting that our Finish

Line is at the heart half mile Mark the

M3 did the quter mile in a 9.7 while the

Plaid managed a 10.2 half a second back

but we know both cars can do better so I

popped off to get my battery in the

right operating window and my tires warm

Tom whose M3 happened to be using

identical msten Pilot Sport 4S rubber to

the Tesla decided to do the same once we

were both happy we reconvened for

another run okay mate boost 3 2 1 go

[Music]

better start and we have left him oh yes

I'm going to keep running

it this was a lot better oh yeah we're

doing

150 160 165 over the

line and it is

11 1 the Tesla came back he had a

terrible launch so obviously this is

this isn't 100% Fair I'd say but I'm

still taking that

Victory Tom what happened bad

launch yeah it literally just spun all

four wheels the whole way down the road

then so I don't know I'm not going to

make too many excuses but defo looked a

bit wet on my

side okay all right we're going to call

it 1 one and um we'll give it one more

go hopefully he can get a perfect launch

cuz my car's still happy and uh we and

see what happens okay

mate sadly Tom's car wasn't happy he

decided he needed to pop off to fill up

with fuel and not just any ordinary fuel

to unleash his full power he needed

stuff you can't actually buy at a petrol

station soon enough though we were ready

to run it again and this would decide

who was truly

fastest okay

boost 3 2 1

go

I'm actually in the lead at this moment

he is just behind me this is very very

close he's not closing the Gap as

quickly as I might expect he's still

there he's still there I'm not pulling

anymore and it is oh my God that is a

that's a dead heat over the line that's

very close the Tesla stopped

pulling about 50 yards from the end I

reached the pretty much top speed um it

stopped accelerating and then that M3

just came back Tom uh that was a great

race good launch I'm happy with mine

over the line I have no idea who won

what' you reckon oh man that was an epic

race

literally um yeah don't know it was

close I think really mate you'd have to

go back to the cameras on that one but

yeah that that was absolutely epic I

think that was a true representation of

both cars there yeah definitely all

right photo finish that was

exciting all right we'll have a look and

see who won and then um yeah I'll get

the champagne On Ice I'm quite confident

with that oh mate my heart is racing

that was epic it was literally neck and

neck the whole way down there um it's

just yeah it's awesome to see how two

completely different

cars um are doing yeah equal things

really right I'm going to have a word

with the cameraman and see if he can

give me a clue as to what might have

happened I have no idea

yeah I have no idea yeah okay cool we'll

look we'll look back at it no idea it

looks like it looks like a draw from

what I can

see here's the story of the race which

ran over a total of a half mile to the

flag the Tesla got a slightly better

start and began pulling smoothly with

the M3 losing ground with every gear

shift by the time we got to the quarter

mile marker near the plains the Tesla

was ahead completing the quarter mile in

9.7 seconds the M3 was a tenth behind as

we continue to the half mile marker at

higher speeds the Plaid seemed to reach

its V-Max and stopped accelerating at

which point the M3 pulled past to take

the Wind by a yard would the model S

plaid track pack with its much higher

top speed have taken the win perhaps one

day we'll find out but for now here's

the rolling

race right here we go rolling race over

the line and

go

okay he's actually pulling away from me

ever so slightly

oh my God yeah you see he's actually

using an extra horsepower that's where

the horsepower tells I've stopped

pulling now at 165 that is where the

Tesla hits its maximum speed it seems

certainly in this mode cuz it stops

pulling after

165 and the BMW takes the rolling race I

mean I think he might have been slightly

ahead of me over the line when we

started but I wouldn't have caught him I

was up for you

mate yeah I'm pretty happy with that I

think you might have been a a little bit

ahead of me over the start but I wasn't

catching you either way cuz I hit I hit

my V-Max at about 165 stopped

accelerating basically and you were

pulling all the way okay mate I could do

one more if you wanted but um if you're

happy with that that's fine for me yep

totally happy with that but we had one

more event to run what goes fast must

come to a stop so it was time for a

break

test

3 2 1

break look at

[Laughter]

that uh well there seems to be a bit of

a gap between us do you reckon that was

acceptable are you happy with

that yeah M I am I think to be fair I

think I always thought that was going to

stop a bit better if I'm honest um yeah

that fair enough man I don't think we're

going to get much better than that

that's interesting I didn't think the

Tesla would Outbreak The M3 but um I

mean the pictures don't lie do they so

yeah I'll take that of course this is

YouTube so there will be about half a

million of you suggesting that there's

no way the Tesla would win a break test

because it's far heavier than the M3 so

we decided to run it again to see if the

result would be any different 3 2 1

break look at that look at that the

Tesla

won okay I mean that's pretty definitive

right that is a a a car length and a

half maybe gap between

us yeah there really is no argument with

that mate that was bang on as well I was

literally right on when you said as well

so I think uh yeah that's conclusive

mate two n to you on that one I'm

afraid so in conclusion both cars are

very rapid both cars have their quirks

the M3 needs special fuel to develop

this level of power and the Tesla needs

to condition the battery before it can

unleash its full potential the Tesla won

the race to the4 mile just and the M3

with its Superior top speed won the race

to the half mile Mark finally the Tesla

had the better stopping power right

thank you very much to Tom for coming

along Tom actually represents a very

cool charity called the race to save

lives all the contact details for those

guys are down in the description box

below make sure you go check them out

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