Amidst the recent feats of the Tesla Model 3 Performance on the track and on the drag strip, it is easy to forget that the midsize electric sedan is actually the tamest P-branded vehicle in the company’s lineup. The fastest of Tesla’s Performance cars is still the Model S P100D, a large sedan that is equipped with the most appropriate-sounding setting in the industry — Ludicrous Mode.
The Tesla Model S P100D is fitted with dual electric motors, whose instant torque allows the vehicle to go from a standstill to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. Back in February 2017, auto publication Motor Trend dubbed the Tesla Model S P100D with Ludicrous Mode as the first production car to break the 2.3-second barrier, hitting the 60 mph mark in exactly 2.275507139 seconds. That’s quicker than the Ferrari LaFerrari, which has a listed 0-60 mph time of 2.4 seconds.
Many vehicles have challenged the Model S P100D over the years, and very few have been able to topple it. Discounting vehicles that are heavily modified for the drag strip, only a few production cars, such as the McLaren 720S, could boast a fair win against the family sedan. That said, many powerful fossil fuel-powered cars still battle the Model S P100D on the drag strip. In one such matchup, which was shared on YouTube by the EV Racing Channel, Tesla’s flagship large sedan went head-to-head against what could very well be one of Australia’s finest performance vehicles — the supercharged, V8-powered HSV GTS.
The GTS is the creation of Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), the performance branch of Australian marque Holden, which was founded in 1987. The GTS is the brand’s large sedan, based on the Holden Commodore and turned up to 11. In its Gen-F iteration that was produced between 2013 to 2017, the HSV GTS was equipped with a 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V8 engine that provides 430 kW of power and 740 Nm of torque. During CarAdvice.au‘s test of the vehicle, the publication lauded the HSV GTS for its strength and sound, but ticked off points for the car over its fuel-thirsty engine.
Despite the HSV GTS being a fast car, it, unfortunately had to join the ranks of other performance vehicles such as the Porsche 911 Turbo S, the Dodge Challenger SRT 392, and the BMW M5 as bonafide victims of the Tesla Model S P100D. During the two vehicles’ match, the all-electric car immediately got the jump on the GTS, and it just kept pulling until the end of the race. Ultimately, the Model S P100D completed the race in 10.97 seconds at 122.43 mph, while the HSV GTS finished the run in 12.937 seconds at 110.40 mph.
Watch the Model S P100D battle the HSV GTS LFA in the video below.
