So Tesla says their Model S Performance is an electric vehicle sports car, but how much of a sports car is it if it gets stacked up against…oh, say a 4.4L V8 engine equipped with a turbo that pushes out 560bhp and 678Nm of torque mated to a 7-speed M Double Clutch Transmission Drivelogic (with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters) and gets to 100kmh in just 4.2s. All of which can be had in a 1,995kg F10 BMW M5.
The 2,112kg silent running rear-wheel drive Tesla Model S Performance sedan on the other hand gets to 100kmh in just 4.4s with its 416bhp and 600Nm of torque from its electric motor.
So the Tesla is heavier and is down on performance, but the battery operated EV is no slouch being able to get up to the century mark in just 0.2s less than the M5. However, its what happens beyond 100kmh that’s the big question and the boys at Automobile magazine have brought both these bad boys to Gingerman Raceway to provide an opportunity for a little tussle down a 400m straight.
It now becomes a German weight-lifter against an American heavy weight that pits how these two translates their power outputs to forward motion.
