Tesla Model 3 vs. Porsche 911 Carrera S Drag Race: Watch Porsche Beat Tesla

Can one of the newest models of a classic German sports car that's been in continuous production since 1963 defeat one of the best electric vehicles (EVs) that first rolled-off an American production line in 2014?

That was the question Youtube channel Car Wow sought to answer over the weekend when it placed a Porsche 911 Carrera S against a Tesla Model 3 Performance in a best-of-three quarter-mile drag races on a sunny day in England. The results were, well, you might as well view the video to see if it lived-up to your expectations.

The Porsche 911 Carrera S in this sprint is, we assume, one of the newer versions of this iconic German machine. It might even be a 991 Series but this has yet to be confirmed. The specs given for the sprinter in this race are standard for the Carrera S: 3.0L twin-turbo flat-six producing 450 hp (336 kW) max. The engine also generates 530 Newton-meters (391 pounds-feet) of torque sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed dual-automatic clutch.

It's weight is a light 1,590 kg (3,505 lbs), which allows it to reach 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.5 seconds. It's this light weight that leads us to suspect this car's a 991, a version first unveiled in 2011. The 3.5 second acceleration speed for the 911 in the video is even faster than official specs that give the 991 4.1 seconds to hit 97 km/h when equipped with the PDK transmission.

The 991 also has an active suspension management as standard. This feature helps improve ride quality on straights and stiffens the suspension during aggressive driving such as a race.

Specs for the Tesla Model 3 Performance are standard. It's rare a Tesla EV receives any extensive modification before drag races. The most common modification is lowering the vehicle's height to make the care more streamlined and, thus, faster.

The Model 3 is a Dual Motor with a combined output of 490 horsepower (366 kilowatts) and 660 Newton-meters (487 pound-feet) of torque. The Model 3 can sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in just 3.2 seconds. So much for the nitty-gritty. Now, on to the race.

Both races are quarter mile sprints from a standing start. The first race sees the Model 3 take the flag with a time of 11.8 seconds against the 911’s 12.1 seconds. The Model 3 driver can be seen laughing his way to victory as he leaves the 911 eating his dust.

As for the second race, this went to the Porsche that clocked a time of 11.5 seconds as against the Tesla’s 11.8. The Porsche’s driver did doughnuts to warm-up his tires and got off to a better start. As for the third race, the Porsche won again.