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What sports sedans (in the same price range) are slower than Model S 60 KWh?

For example, 535i is supposedly faster 0-60. ( 5.6 vs 5.9 seconds for the Tesla) I somehow doubt it will beat it in a standing start. ( I am biased, of course)

I am not a boy racer, but I wold not be able to resist an invitation to an impromptu drag race once I get my car. However, I pick my race carefully :-)

Standing start, other car might have a chance.

From 30 mph or so onwards, most likely the Tesla will blow many higher priced sedans away due to the near-instantaneous torque.

?? Its usually the 0-30 range the S has the most advantage, for the very reason you specified. I think you have it exactly backwards.

I posted this on another thread. It is just a somewhat informed estimate:

Don't have the actual numbers because the S60 has not been tested yet. However extrapolating from the data that Tesla has provided (just two numbers plus HP and torque) and a factor for the difference between Tesla results and Motor Trend results.. Here is my best guess (using a curve fitting technique which has worked well in the past) if MT had tested it.
0-30 2.4 sec
0-40 3.2
0-50 4.2
0-60 5.3
0-70 6.6
0-80 8.2
0-90 10
0-100 12.2
1/4 mile 13.8 at 105.5
45-65 2.1 sec

Note that the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are less than Tesla... this is because MT has come in with shorter times in their tests for the P85 and S85 (partly because MT uses a 1 foot rollout as most other testing agencies do, which I believe Tesla did not.


Let me clarify: a sedan that is rated to be faster at 0-60 than the model s might have a chance from a standing start. Not when they are already at speed, because no ICE can outdo an equally powerful electric engine due to the torque advantage.

I believe Brian is correct. Torque is instantaneous with the Tesla, while the ICE is still getting its boots laced. Best performance will be off the line.

If you are at speed in an ICE car, you can easily downshift to put the engine in its max torque range. After that, as either car approaches its limits, I believe higher hp has the advantage.

They say torque rules the 0-60 and horse power rules the 1/4 mile.

M5 v. MS P85 video has MS pull at the launch and maintain the gap. The M5 starts to pull back the gap near the end (see video).

Hard to justify but I would suggest P85 for overkill. The 60 price point is for the car. The plus up to P85 is for the grin.

At the end, they say the MS won 2 out of 3. So it's a near thing.

I'd say Tesla has advantage over very large range of gas cars as soon as that gas car goes to second gear: second gear drops the torque at the wheels slowing down the acceleration.

Then loses again at very high speeds (torque drop from emotor @ can't get back to better RPM range).

Thumb rule would be that if the 0-60 time is close Tesla will beat it at 60-90.

HP is just derivate from torque and RPM, torque is the one telling you directly the force that accelerates the car. High HP means high speed: you can have high wheel rotation rate while still having decent torque. Those units tell you different things.

Remember that all fancy ICE cars employ launch control, that needs to be perfectly executed (the M5 from the video included, word is it was perfectly executed the one time).

In everyday driving their off-the-line start is not so impressive. See test numbers with stability control on, Model S smokes them off...

Timo and Tiebreaker: that's what I wanted to say.

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