Much has been documented about the time-space-continuum-bending acceleration of the Tesla Model X Performance. So much so, that you’d be forgiven for thinking that no other non-electric car could get close to it in a head-to-head drag race. But you’d be wrong (ish) as Audi specialists discovers.
Although perhaps not entirely surprised by its protagonist in the carbon un-neutral corner….
Not if you’re a fan of the blistering performance of that typically oil-burning handful that is the Audi RS6 Avant. Which as long-established Audi specialists, we certainly count ourselves as.
Think of it like this. We have one of the best examples of an internal combustion engine challenging the poster car of the electric revolution to a full-on face-off. A desirable load-lugger (albeit with a Lambo block shoehorned into it) pitched against a luxury ‘leccy SUV, equipped with more tech than Branson’s orbit-skimming plane.
The team over at www.carwow.co.uk recently conducted a straight-line shoot-out between the two.
And why? Well, just because they could.
All in the name of science, obviously. Not simply because they, like us here at Audi specialists, WCC, love a good drag race.
OK. Who Won?
So, you’ll probably be chomping at the bit to know who won, like we were?
But before we get to that, let’s take a quick look at the all-important figures, and this is how the contenders lined-up in the stats department.
The Tesla generates a mind-blowing 778bhp, courtesy of its twin electric batteries which produce some 840 lb-ft of torque. By contrast, the Audi RS6 Avant gathers its momentum via a fossil fuel-gulping 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged power plant. Yes, a Lamborghini unit. Yet harnessing a shade under 600bhp for its part.
However, being an Audi it benefits from that legendary quattro traction when it comes to putting all that power down. Naturally, Tesla address this potential engineering banana skin, by the deployment and configuration of the twin batteries which electrify the Tesla Model X, essentially driving all four wheels. Based on the underlying fact that they sit on both axles.
Right back atcha, Audi!
Audi Specialist Asks: Why’s It Really a Contest Though?
Purely because both Audi and Tesla talk a good game.
About the 0 – 62mph dash being done and dusted in and around the 3 second mark, in both camps. But can they walk the walk too? And there has to be a definitive winner, no?
Surely they can’t share bragging rights?
INCOMING SPOILER ALERT: The Results Are In, And The Winner Is….
The winner(s) are petrolheads and environmentally-savvy car buyers/owners alike. Due to both polar opposite vehicles being awesome driver’s cars, obviously. Because there are no losers in this instance. Both vehicles offer blink-and-you’ll-miss-them levels of rapidity for a quiet start. A very quiet start in the case of the Tesla.
Look away/watch the Carwow video now if you don’t wish to know the upshot.
Otherwise in the actual event, the RS6 did claim some victories of sorts. Most notably in the second quarter mile drag race, largely thanks to a botched effort by the Tesla, after Elon Musk’s tech-loaded trailblazer claimed a narrow win in the first attempt. On balance – and a few more duals, including rolling starts – the Model X Performance came out on top. Marginally. Yet was clearly given a bloodied nose by the plucky RS6.
Hello. Did Someone Just Mention the Plaid Model X?….
That being said, the brand-new Plaid Model X boasts in excess of 1,000bhp and three electric motors to boot. So any talk of a rematch might be wishful thinking for the guys from Ingolstadt.
WCC For All Your Audi Specialist Requirements
Back in the real world though, if you own an RS6, or any other type of Audi for that matter, then here at WCC we can keep your car in fine fettle. Be it routine servicing, MOTs, diagnostic fault-finding, general repairs and parts replacements and any after-market security products or driver aids you want installing. As long-standing Audi specialists we cover the lot, at an affordable price and with a fast turnaround which is convenient for you.
Admittedly, we can’t promise to make it go faster than a Tesla, but our trained technicians specialise in automotive repairs, servicing, maintenance and upgrades on the entire Audi family per se. So don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out more.
(Above image courtesy of www.carwow.co.uk)
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