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I Wanna Go Fast: Electric vs Combustion
Jun. 8th, 2017 03:07 pmAh, the eternal debate: Which is better the electric or the good old, roaring, noisy, gas-guzzling combustion engine? Or rather a question that has been asked more and more as advances in electric cars have turned it from a farcical, ridiculous machine, into a car that, well, could be...ok is good for some people.
But Johnny, I here some of you shrilly call out, surely you've seen that video of a Tesla Model S destroying a V8 muscle car, and then proceeding to destroy a V8 race-car? Can't you admit that the Tesla Model S is the new American muscle?
Yes. No.
OK. Calm down. I'll admit, nothing has the acceleration of an electric car. It's just not possible. Electric cars produce torque from the moment you put your foot down. So for drag races, electrics may have a home. But in a real racing scenario, the Tesla just isn't there.
Sure the Tesla Model S is the 3rd fastest production car out there, with a blister 0-60 in 2.28s (tuned), but let's take a look at it's Nurburgring time: Over 10 minutes. That's because after 3 minutes it went into reduced power mode (probably due to component overheating). But even if it wouldn't overheat, the predicted time was about 9 minutes. Amazing for a sedan, yes. But a race-car no.
The Dodge Viper, a true modern muscle car, with an estimated 0-60 in a measly 3.5s, did the Nurburgring in 7:12 minutes. Now that's a car.
I'm not saying Teslas are bad. Far from it. The technology is still young and it's very impressive. But the issue of batteries (weight and charge) and overheating remain.
For me, unless a car can outrun the law, it's not a muscle car. And right now I wouldn't trust a Tesla.
Case closed by Johnny "screaming sideways into the sunset" Storm.
(And yes I know the Viper has a V10 not a V8, but if there's anything more American than a V8 muscle car, it's a V10 one :P )
But Johnny, I here some of you shrilly call out, surely you've seen that video of a Tesla Model S destroying a V8 muscle car, and then proceeding to destroy a V8 race-car? Can't you admit that the Tesla Model S is the new American muscle?
Yes. No.
OK. Calm down. I'll admit, nothing has the acceleration of an electric car. It's just not possible. Electric cars produce torque from the moment you put your foot down. So for drag races, electrics may have a home. But in a real racing scenario, the Tesla just isn't there.
Sure the Tesla Model S is the 3rd fastest production car out there, with a blister 0-60 in 2.28s (tuned), but let's take a look at it's Nurburgring time: Over 10 minutes. That's because after 3 minutes it went into reduced power mode (probably due to component overheating). But even if it wouldn't overheat, the predicted time was about 9 minutes. Amazing for a sedan, yes. But a race-car no.
The Dodge Viper, a true modern muscle car, with an estimated 0-60 in a measly 3.5s, did the Nurburgring in 7:12 minutes. Now that's a car.
I'm not saying Teslas are bad. Far from it. The technology is still young and it's very impressive. But the issue of batteries (weight and charge) and overheating remain.
For me, unless a car can outrun the law, it's not a muscle car. And right now I wouldn't trust a Tesla.
Case closed by Johnny "screaming sideways into the sunset" Storm.
(And yes I know the Viper has a V10 not a V8, but if there's anything more American than a V8 muscle car, it's a V10 one :P )