Cont: Electric Vehicles II

[Dabop]

I find that hard to believe. It is powered by a 427 aluminum FE engine that made 538 BHP on the dyno, with over 500 ft lbs of torque from 2,000 to red line. After the dyno pull we replaced the dual quads with fuel injectors so it should be making a little more horsepower, but may have lost some torque below 3,000 rpms.

Due in part to the aluminum block, the car weighs just over 2,400 lbs with gas in the tank.

From a dead start, all we would learn is that I have to find a new Jaguar rear axle to replace the remaining pieces. However, numerous Cobras set up for drag racing, with similar engines, are running in the 9's.

From a rolling start, I suspect the Model S Plaid would be in for a fight. And, on a road, course, it would be no competition.

I can't resist, here is the FE with EFI:

View attachment 67462

Tesla Model S Plaid achieves new record 8.56-sec quarter mile

A Tesla Model S Plaid has achieved a new record quarter-mile run in a remarkable 8.56 seconds – though it...

electrek.co

Tesla Model S Plaid sets stunning new quarter-mile and 0-60 mph records - Tesla Oracle

Tesla Model S Plaid sets a new record in a quarter-mile drag racing attempt which puts it among the list of top world records. The Tesla Model S Plaid luxury electric sedan completed the 1/4-mile run in just 8.59 seconds at a speed of 162.33 mph (261 km/h). The vehicle did not just make a […]

www.teslaoracle.com

Tesla Model S Plaid sets a new record in a quarter-mile drag racing attempt which puts it among the list of top world records.


The Tesla Model S Plaid luxury electric sedan completed the 1/4-mile run in just 8.59 seconds at a speed of 162.33 mph (261 km/h).


The vehicle did not just make a new quarter-mile record, it also accelerated from 0-60 seconds in just 1.88 seconds. This is 0.11 seconds faster than the best 0-60 mph record of 1.99 seconds by a Model S Plaid.

 

[acbytesla]

I find that hard to believe. It is powered by a 427 aluminum FE engine that made 538 BHP on the dyno, with over 500 ft lbs of torque from 2,000 to red line. After the dyno pull we replaced the dual quads with fuel injectors so it should be making a little more horsepower, but may have lost some torque below 3,000 rpms.

Due in part to the aluminum block, the car weighs just over 2,400 lbs with gas in the tank.

From a dead start, all we would learn is that I have to find a new Jaguar rear axle to replace the remaining pieces. However, numerous Cobras set up for drag racing, with similar engines, are running in the 9's.

From a rolling start, I suspect the Model S Plaid would be in for a fight. And, on a road, course, it would be no competition.

I can't resist, here is the FE with EFI:

View attachment 67462

The Tesla Model S Plaid is a hyper-performance electric sedan boasting over 1,000 horsepower (1020 hp), tri-motor AWD, and blistering acceleration (0-60 mph in under 2 seconds on prepped surfaces) with a top speed potentially over 200 mph, offering impressive range (around 350-370 miles EPA est.) and advanced tech like torque vectoring, alongside substantial cargo space and luxurious, minimalist interiors.
Here's a breakdown of key stats:
Performance:
Horsepower: 1020 hp
Torque: 1050 lb-ft (estimated)
0-60 mph: ~1.99 seconds (on prepped track), ~2.0 seconds (manufacturer)
Quarter Mile: ~9.25 seconds @ 152.6 mph (prepped)
Top Speed: Up to 200 mph (with proper hardware/software)
Motors: Tri-Motor All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Range & Charging:
EPA Estimated Range: Around 368-370 miles (varies slightly with wheel choice)
Battery: ~100 kWh nominal capacity
Charging: Optimized for faster Supercharging
Chassis & Handling:
Suspension: Double wishbone front, multi-link rear with air springs
Brakes: High-performance discs (Brembo on some models)
Wheels/Tires: Staggered setups with wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires for grip
Interior & Practicality:
Seating: 5-seater
Cargo: Front trunk ("frunk") plus significant rear cargo space (up to 25-28 cu ft with seats up)
Technology: Large central touchscreen, OTA updates, advanced driver-assist
Key Features:
Torque Vectoring: Tri-motor setup provides precise power distribution.
Aerodynamics: Optimized design for reduced drag and enhanced stability.
Thermal Management: Improved system for consistent track performance.


Tesla
Tesla Model S Plaid: Performance Benchmarks and Real-World ...
Mar 21, 2025 — The Model S Plaid is powered by a tri-motor setup that delivers over 1,020 horsepower, ensuring that the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds.
CarBuzz
Tesla Model S Plaid 2025 - ArenaEV
Tesla Model S Plaid 2025 - * 1020hp. All Wheel Drive. * 100kWh. Nominal capacity. * 2sec. 0-60 mph. * 368mi. EPA range.

ArenaEV

Tesla Model S Plaid - tech specs and prices | EVspecs
Tesla Model S Plaid - Performance Specs: Power: 760 kW (1019 hp), Torque: 1420 Nm, Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 2.1 s, Acceleration 0-160 km/h: 3.5

 

[Dabop]

The Tesla Model S Plaid is a hyper-performance electric sedan boasting over 1,000 horsepower (1020 hp), tri-motor AWD, and blistering acceleration (0-60 mph in under 2 seconds on prepped surfaces) with a top speed potentially over 200 mph, offering impressive range (around 350-370 miles EPA est.) and advanced tech like torque vectoring, alongside substantial cargo space and luxurious, minimalist interiors.
Here's a breakdown of key stats:
Performance:
Horsepower: 1020 hp
Torque: 1050 lb-ft (estimated)
0-60 mph: ~1.99 seconds (on prepped track), ~2.0 seconds (manufacturer)
Quarter Mile: ~9.25 seconds @ 152.6 mph (prepped)
Top Speed: Up to 200 mph (with proper hardware/software)
Motors: Tri-Motor All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Range & Charging:
EPA Estimated Range: Around 368-370 miles (varies slightly with wheel choice)
Battery: ~100 kWh nominal capacity
Charging: Optimized for faster Supercharging
Chassis & Handling:
Suspension: Double wishbone front, multi-link rear with air springs
Brakes: High-performance discs (Brembo on some models)
Wheels/Tires: Staggered setups with wide Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires for grip
Interior & Practicality:
Seating: 5-seater
Cargo: Front trunk ("frunk") plus significant rear cargo space (up to 25-28 cu ft with seats up)
Technology: Large central touchscreen, OTA updates, advanced driver-assist
Key Features:
Torque Vectoring: Tri-motor setup provides precise power distribution.
Aerodynamics: Optimized design for reduced drag and enhanced stability.
Thermal Management: Improved system for consistent track performance.


Tesla
Tesla Model S Plaid: Performance Benchmarks and Real-World ...
Mar 21, 2025 — The Model S Plaid is powered by a tri-motor setup that delivers over 1,020 horsepower, ensuring that the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds.
CarBuzz
Tesla Model S Plaid 2025 - ArenaEV
Tesla Model S Plaid 2025 - * 1020hp. All Wheel Drive. * 100kWh. Nominal capacity. * 2sec. 0-60 mph. * 368mi. EPA range.

ArenaEV

Tesla Model S Plaid - tech specs and prices | EVspecs
Tesla Model S Plaid - Performance Specs: Power: 760 kW (1019 hp), Torque: 1420 Nm, Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 2.1 s, Acceleration 0-160 km/h: 3.5

Hey his Cobra has A/C too.....

 

[acbytesla]

Hey his Cobra has A/C too.....
View attachment 67465

That's a killer car. I love it. Total classic. Super light. Insane power to weight ratio with that engine on the Cobra's super light body. But you also can't deny the Plaid. Three times the weight and double the power. And there are faster EVs are out there.

 

[acbytesla]

Check out the Tesla X Plaid against a Ferrari and a Lamborghini on the track

 

[Dabop]

That's a killer car. I love it. Total classic. Super light. Insane power to weight ratio with that engine on the Cobra's super light body. But you also can't deny the Plaid. Three times the weight and double the power. And there are faster EVs are out there.

Plus ones a specialist car (2 seater,open top, with 'marginal' handling and really needs a skilled driver at the controls), and its still not as fast as a 4 seater family sedan, with ALL the mod cons that anyone can buy and drive safely...
(unlike the Cobra that actively tries to kill the unwary driver, the Tesla actively tries to protect them....)
I have nothing against the Cobra, hell I'd LOVE to have one parked in the shed lol- but its far from an 'EV killer'

 

[427 Cobra]

Look at the post I made just before yours- the 110kph/68mph nondivided is one I drive a couple of times a week usually, the 'single lane wide' is 100kph/62mph and if you meet oncoming traffic you both drop the lhs wheels into the dirt... oh and you are likely to meet a 'double' or 'triple' train coming at you on that road with a closing speed of 200kph (124mph) between you!!!!

The Australian "triple trains" are insane. All we have to deal with here are 129,000 lb / 58,500 kg maximum weight single or tandem trucks. Of course, if you hit them head on their actual weight doesn't really matter that much.

 

[acbytesla]

Plus ones a specialist car (2 seater,open top, with 'marginal' handling and really needs a skilled driver at the controls), and its still not as fast as a 4 seater family sedan, with ALL the mod cons that anyone can buy and drive safely...
(unlike the Cobra that actively tries to kill the unwary driver, the Tesla actively tries to protect them....)
I have nothing against the Cobra, hell I'd LOVE to have one parked in the shed lol- but its far from an 'EV killer'

Yeah, you really need to know how to drive the Cobra. So overpowered for the weight of that car. Especially back when that car came out. The tires, the brakes and the steering made them death machines. I'm sure Cobra has much better tires and brakes on his.

 

[Dabop]

The Australian "triple trains" are insane. All we have to deal with here are 129,000 lb / 58,500 kg maximum weight single or tandem trucks. Of course, if you hit them head on their actual weight doesn't really matter that much.

Meh, we are only allowed doubles or triples here in Queensland- Western Australia runs the 'quads' (four normal semi trailers on three dollies) and the 'SuperQuads'- a totally road legal roadtrain- except each of the four trailers has four axles, each each of the three dollys has four axles, and the prime movers (tractors to the yanks) have either quad drive axles with single steer, or tridrive drive axles with bogie steers...

A quad...

A SuperQuad

The SuperQuad is 60m/197ft and 190 tonnes/419000lbs fully loaded...

Feel like checking the tyre pressures daily???

 

[427 Cobra]

Yeah, you really need to know how to drive the Cobra. So overpowered for the weight of that car. Especially back when that car came out. The tires, the brakes and the steering made them death machines. I'm sure Cobra has much better tires and brakes on his.

The ERA Cobra has better frame, brakes, tires, transmission, and suspension than the original Cobra.

However, it is still a short wheelbase car with no power steering, power brakes, anti-lock brakes, traction control, automatic transmission, or radio.

 

[Dabop]

The ERA Cobra has better frame, brakes, tires, transmission, and suspension than the original Cobra.

However, it is still a short wheelbase car with no power steering, power brakes, anti-lock brakes, traction control, automatic transmission, or radio.

Meh- I don't got the HP- but the BJ diesel Landcruiser sitting in the shed is a softtop SWB, leaf springs all round,and no 'nothing flash' either- with 1 tonne suspension on a short wheelbase chassis- its handling isn't 'good' by any stretch of the imagination lol
quarter mile time would be measured in minutes, rather than seconds lol

But its fun in summer....
Top off, cruising the beach or offroad, nothing better for christmas fun in the sun lol

 

[427 Cobra]

Meh- I don't got the HP- but the BJ diesel Landcruiser sitting in the shed is a softtop SWB, leaf springs all round,and no 'nothing flash' either- with 1 tonne suspension on a short wheelbase chassis- its handling isn't 'good' by any stretch of the imagination lol
quarter mile time would be measured in minutes, rather than seconds lol

I put a high performance head on my Model A Fordor. Should now be good for (almost) 50 HP.

0 to 60 mph - eventually. But only if there is a good tail wind and we are going down hill.

The Fordor is currently in Tennessee getting painted - hopefully it will back in my garage soon.

 

[Dabop]

I put a high performance head on my Model A Fordor. Should now be good for (almost) 50 HP.

0 to 60 mph - eventually. But only if there is a good tail wind and we are going down hill.

The Fordor is currently in Tennessee getting painted - hopefully it will back in my garage soon.

Not that different to the BJ- its a huge 80hp 3L 4 cylinder diesel- mind you she pulls hard- esp in low 4 in first...
Not fast, but pulls hard....
(on the highway, its capable of 90kph if pushed hard- I don't, 80 is fine lol)

 

[arthwollipot]

Frankly, most roads in australia aren't compatible with 140km+ speeds, whereas a number of EU countries and the USA do have roads that support such driving. It is really not a big deal when you are driving there. Maybe a little daunting to some that are not used to it, but otherwise "safe". In fact it is safer to go with the flow that to drive "sensibly". Do anything else and you are likely the one to cause an accident with another car.
Obs the car needs to be capable/safe as well.

(Oh, also, driven similar speeds legally in NT/SA and Japan.)

The other problem is that here, where there are stiff penalties for exceeding the speed limit, most people don't do it. You do get the occasional hoon, but for the most part the majority of drivers are driving at or near the speed limit. If you're the hoon and you're speeding, you're weaving in and out of traffic and causing the hazard yourself.

That's when you're within 50km of the coast where most of the people and cars are. Get into the interior and the hazard is going to be a kangaroo suddenly appearing in front of you with no warning. They have zero sense of self-preservation and can move randomly in any direction. If you're doing the speed limit they're hard enough to avoid, let alone if you are exceeding it.

How much longer would it take me to drive the 2,700 miles in an EV?

Not appreciably longer than it would if you were in an ICE car. EVs aren't slower than ICE cars. If you're driving 100mph, you're doing 2700 miles in 27 hours whether you're in an ICE car or an EV, not counting stops.

 

[427 Cobra]

I have nothing against the Cobra, hell I'd LOVE to have one parked in the shed lol- but its far from an 'EV killer'

There is an old saying, "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?"

The engine was built by Tom Lucas at FE Specialties (FE engines are notoriously finnicky and should only be built by experts). When asked how much horsepower I wanted, I immediately said about 550. He was spot on, making 538 bhp.

I never intended for the Cobra to be an 'EV killer'. There will always be someone with a faster car - I just wanted to build something that would be fun to drive. I really don't care if some trust fund man child bought a faster car - my Cobra will always mean more to me than his store bought performance will mean to him.

Realistically, the plaid is twice as heavy and has about twice the horsepower and torque as the Cobra. Take away the traction issues of a standing start and my Cobra may not be quicker, but it will not be embarrassed by it.

 

[427 Cobra]

Not appreciably longer than it would if you were in an ICE car. EVs aren't slower than ICE cars. If you're driving 100mph, you're doing 2700 miles in 27 hours whether you're in an ICE car or an EV, not counting stops.

The problem has always been the stops. As I have said, from putting on the turn signal to exit the freeway, to resetting the cruise control back on the highway takes us less than 15 minutes. This includes finding the gas station, filling up, potty breaks, and hitting the drive through for bad food.

How long does this take in an EV? Can you be choosey, like we are, and only stop at charging stations with adjacent quick food restaurants that are clearly visible from the road, with easy egress and ingress?

 

[Dabop]

I embarrassed one of the local teen hoons when I got to testdrive the Atto 3- a grey haired old coot in a 'mid sized' Chinese SUV EV, he was in his XR8 ute, blipping the accelerator at the lights- the owner was sitting next to me and said 'go for it, he'll get a shock'

And he did- I was neck and neck with his XR8 Falcon ute, all the way up to the speed limit...




Against a family EV SUV Atto 3...

 

[Dabop]

The problem has always been the stops. As I have said, from putting on the turn signal to exit the freeway, to resetting the cruise control back on the highway takes us less than 15 minutes. This includes finding the gas station, filling up, potty breaks, and hitting the drive through for bad food.

How long does this take in an EV? Can you be choosey, like we are, and only stop at charging stations with adjacent quick food restaurants that are clearly visible from the road, with easy egress and ingress?

Travel centers are adding EV chargers all around Australia on the highways and freeways...

BP, Ampol, Shell all doing it, so basically every major service station is getting/already has EV charge points.... (including the one just down the road from my sisters lol)

BP rolling out hundreds of EV chargers at Australian service stations

The launch is the commencement of BP’s plan for around 600 charge points in Australia, made by local company Tritium.

www.carexpert.com.au

(a Aussie 'travel center' is a combination service station/food court found every hundred km or so on all major Australian roads.... usually with the 'standard' fast food outlets- KFC, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks etc etc, as well as 'specialty food' shops as well)- this one is literally less than a kilometre from me atm...


Yup- thats a 302kw charge going in- and the owner of that EV was complaining it was slower than his normal one lol

As for having to 'drive 15 mins to find one'- these are always literally on the side of the freeway....
Same one as above, pulling in off the M2 motorway....

The Atto would be there about 20 min to do the ideal 20-80% (its a rather old design as I mentioned, and caps out at a tiny 88kW!!!!) one of the newer models with a higher charge rate would be faster- the new Dolphins for example can halve the time to take the same power in....

 

[arthwollipot]

The problem has always been the stops. As I have said, from putting on the turn signal to exit the freeway, to resetting the cruise control back on the highway takes us less than 15 minutes. This includes finding the gas station, filling up, potty breaks, and hitting the drive through for bad food.

Presumably you're also stopping to, like, sleep. You're not doing the entire 27 hour trip in one go. You should be taking a short rest stop every 2 hours. Fatigue kills as many drivers as speeding does.

How long does this take in an EV? Can you be choosey, like we are, and only stop at charging stations with adjacent quick food restaurants that are clearly visible from the road, with easy egress and ingress?

Yes.

 

[zooterkin]

That is dangerously illegal in this country. Top speed permitted on Australian freeways is 110kph, which I think is about 65mph. If you're going 145kph, you're going to be pulled over and you'll get a VERY big fine and probably your license will be revoked.

I believe there's still one short stretch of outback SA where there's no posted speed limit, but apart from that you're done, son.

5 mph over the limit is dangerously illegal?