The Tesla Plaid Channel on YouTube has posted a video of a Pontiac Firebird popping a wheelie while drag racing a Tesla Model S Plaid.
This takes place at the Showtime Dragstrip in Pinellas Park, Florida. At the start of the video, the Tesla's driver says the track surface will lack grip because lots of high-powered cars have already burned rubber down the track and stripped the prepping off its surface. But his Tesla Model S Plaid has come prepared with a set of super-sticky Nitto NT01 drag radials.
The Tesla pulls up to the drag strip and finds itself waiting for a worthy opponent who is ready to go. Finally, one does arrive, in the form of a Pontiac Firebird. This one is a third-generation model equipped with a 440 cubic-inch V8 engine. It sports drag radials on all four wheels.
Classic Muscle Vs New EV
This matchup between a Pontiac Firebird and a Tesla Model S Plaid is a classic battle between the old and the new. The Firebird's big displacement V8 engine reflects the old-school formula for making a car go fast. As the saying goes,"there is no replacement for displacement."
In comparison, the Tesla Model S Plaid is proof that technology can be a replacement for displacement. The Tesla Model S Plaid's blinding acceleration comes from the latest EV technology paired with all-wheel drive and a transmission equipped with several different drive modes, including a Drag Strip Mode programmed specifically to optimize straight-line acceleration from a standing start.
All of this technology enables the Tesla Model S Plaid to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in just 1.99 seconds. The top speed is an equally impressive 200 mph.
Race Results Between Firebird And Plaid
Conventional wisdom would say that the Tesla Model S Plaid would use its instant torque and all-wheel drive to jump out to an early lead against the rear-wheel drive Pontiac Firebird. But that is not what happens.
The Pontiac Firebird clearly has no problem putting the power down to the rear wheels. It pops a wheelie at the start of the race while pulling out in front. The Tesla Model S Plaid gradually catches up, and there seems to be a photo finish at the end of the 1/8th mile race.
This is an example of a race where the reaction times of each individual driver affect the outcome.