Teslas are really quick cars, with even the company’s non-Performance vehicles proving formidable in a straight line. This was proven recently when a Model 3 Dual Motor AWD took on two powerful gas-powered vehicles in a classic drag race: a Mercedes-Benz CLS 53 AMG and a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
Fortunately for the Tesla Model 3, it had the edge in terms of its tech. The Fast Lane Car, the group that held the test, checked the vehicle’s performance before the electric sedan received an over-the-air update that increased its peak power by 5%. Considering that the acceleration tests were conducted about a mile above sea level, Model 3 AWD’s 0-60 mph times of 4.66 seconds and 4.59 seconds were pretty close to Tesla’s listed 4.5-second time for the vehicle.
Once the software update was complete, the group tested the Model 3 AWD’s acceleration once more. Just as mentioned by Elon Musk, the Peak Power Increase did improve the electric sedan’s acceleration. After the recent update, the Model 3 AWD immediately improved its acceleration, performing 0-60 mph runs in 4.45 and 4.42 seconds.
The Tesla Model 3 AWD needed all the power it could get to topple its two challengers, a Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 and a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The CLS 53 is nothing to scoff at, with its turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that produces 429 hp. The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, on the other hand, is pretty much the quintessential muscle car, with its roaring 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine that produces an overwhelming 707 hp. In comparison, the non-Performance Model 3 Dual Motor AWD has 367 hp.
Despite lacking in some horsepower compared to its gas-powered competition, the Model 3 put up a good fight, and then some. The electric sedan battled the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 in a straight-line drag race, and it immediately made quick work of the German-made sedan. The Dodge Hellcat fared much better, but the Model 3’s instant torque proved enough to overtake the iconic muscle car. At the end of the test, both the CLS 53 and the Hellcat had to bow down to the Model 3.
What is notable is that the Model 3 AWD is not even the fastest version of the electric sedan. That title goes to the Model 3 Performance, which can sprint from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. With its over-the-air peak power increase, the Model 3 Performance actually proved enough to topple a Ferarri 458 in a 1/8-mile race.
Watch The Fast Lane Car’s test of the Model 3 AWD in the video below.