Must Watch: Rimac Nevera Drag Races Tesla Model S Plaid
DragTimes recently pitted the ultra-exclusive 1914 HP Rimac Nevera against Tesla’s latest offering, the much-awaited 1020 HP Model S Plaid.
Who doesn’t enjoy an electrifying drag race, especially one involving two of the most powerful EVs on the planet? In a recent video, YouTube channel DragTimes raced the ultra-exclusive Rimac Nevera against Tesla’s Model S Plaid. For the uninitiated, Nevera is propelled by four electric motors powered by a 120 kWh battery pack, which produces 1914 HP of maximum power and around 1740 lb-ft (2360 Nm) of peak torque. Nevera’s competitor is powered by a Tri Motor drivetrain that produces 1020 HP and 1,050 lb-ft of torque.
Even though the power outputs of the two hyper EVs are drastically different, the 0 to 60 MPH acceleration time of the two cars are quite similar. According to OEM claims, the Model S Plaid can hit the 60 MPH mark from a complete standstill in 1.99 seconds, and Nevera can make the same run in 1.86 seconds. Rimac entrusted DragTimes’ Brooks Weisblat with the Nevera, and he was joined by his collaborator- Jimmy- who raced against the YouTuber from behind the wheel of the Model S Plaid.
The DragTimes duo set ambitious performance targets for themselves. “We wanted to race the two quickest production cars in the world heads up against each other,” said Brooks. He further added, ”We need the record for this (Model S Plaid), the record for the Rimac, and wow, it’s gonna be awesome.”
As expected, the Rimac managed to win all three races that the duo participated in, but in the first race, Jimmy’s superior reaction time allowed the Model S Plaid to get off the line quicker than the Nevera.
Rimac Nevera ¼-mile times and speeds:
- Race 1: 8.655 seconds/166.66 MPH
- Race 2: 8.641 seconds/166.44 MPH
- Race 3: 8.615 seconds/166.39 MPH
Tesla Model S Plaid ¼-mile times and speeds:
- Race 1: 9.272 seconds/152.68 mph
- Race 2: 9.312 seconds/151.34 mph
- Race 3: 9.294 seconds/151.75 mph
The Model S Plaid did a commendable job keeping up with the Nevera, and its performance seems even more impressive when we take the price tags of the two cars into consideration. At $2.4 million, the Nevera costs 185 times as much as the Tesla Model S Plaid, which is priced at $129,990. Tesla aims to deliver 1000 units of Model S plaid each week by Q3 2021, but the production of Rimac Nevera will be limited to just 150 examples initially.
Brooks shared his thoughts on the race results. “So we always like the battle out the reaction times, even though one car is obviously significantly faster. I think it was kinda cool actually to see you (Jimmy) get the jump and see how long it takes to pass you,” said Brooks.
Image Source: DragTimes