The 911 Turbo S is the fastest Porsche you can buy. The all wheel drive Turbo S is powered by a 640 hp twin-turbo flat six that can shoot the car from zero to 60mph in just 2.5 seconds. You would think it would have no problem beating a family SUV loaded with six people. However, this SUV is a Tesla Model X Plaid.
Despite what Aston Martin’s claims, the Tesla Model X Plaid is the real world’s most powerful luxury SUV. It is so powerful, that even when loaded with six people, it’s still able to beat Porsche’s fastest car in a drag race. If the passengers were removed, it would completely annihilate the Porsche.
It’s at this point that most gasoline gear heads would say the numbers don’t add up. The Turbo S has 640 hp and weighs 3,800 lbs with the driver for a power to weight ratio of 5.9 lbs per hp. The Model X Plaid has 1020 hp and weighs 6,600 lbs with 6 passengers for a power to weight ratio of 6.4 lbs per hp. The Porsche is moving less weight per hp so why did it lose the race?
The first reason is the hp rating itself. The 640 hp of the Turbo S is peak power. It makes 640 hp at 6,750 rpm. Anything below or above that engine speed, it makes less power. This is why gas powered cars have transmissions with multiple speeds (8 speed PDK in the case of the Turbo S) – to get the engine back to its peak power as quick as possible.
The electric motors in the Model X Plaid have a much wider power band. It’s so wide that it doesn’t need a multi-gear transmission. The car can go from zero to its top speed in 1 gear! So while the 911 Turbo S is making 640 hp only at 6,750 rpm, the Model X Plaid is making over 1000 hp once it goes pass 60 mph and continues to make over 1000 hp all the way to its top speed.
The second reason is Tesla is simply sandbagging – the Model X Plaid makes way more than the 1020 hp that Tesla claims.
Uptown Autosport put a Model S Plaid, which uses the same motors as the Model X Plaid, on their hub dyno and measured 1101.2 hp at the wheel. If we allow for a 20% drivetrain lost for all wheel drive vehicles, it means the Plaid motors are really pushing out 1,376 hp!
If you own a Porsche 911 Turbo S, you own one of the fastest cars in the world. However, you should think twice before you race the Tesla Model X Plaid next to you at a red light, even if it’s loaded with six people.