Have you seen the moderately spectacular quarter-mile race between the new Tesla Cybertruck and a Porsche 911? It was one of many coolest items of final week’s Tesla Cybertruck launch, particularly when the digicam lower to the shot of the Cybertruck towing an identically spec’d 911 in a trailer behind it because it crossed the end line with the primary 911 sizzling on its tail.
But because it seems, the race—if its entirety was proven—was filmed on was over a a lot shorter eighth-mile distance. And with the Porsche creeping up on the Cybertruck’s tail because it crossed the end line, the end result of a race held over a full quarter-mile might not have been the identical.
One eagle-eyed Redditor occurred to note that the race was held on the now-closed Sacramento Raceway. When evaluating the stills from Tesla’s footage, it may be seen that the Cybertruck and Porsche have been set as much as race throughout the primary set of thick traces painted on the monitor, that are positioned on the eighth-mile marker alongside the grandstands. (Those are not present at the quarter-mile markings on the track.) Yet throughout the press convention, even Tesla CEO Elon Musk was adamant that it was a correct quarter-mile drag.
“This is an actual Porsche. We literally just got it from the dealer. 2023 Porsche 911,” Musk mentioned throughout the Cybertruck launch occasion. “It can tow a Porsche 911 across a quarter mile faster than the Porsche 911 can go by itself.”
Immediately after displaying the Cybertruck win the race, Tesla claims that the best trim Cyberbeast model of its truck can run the quarter mile in beneath 11.0 seconds, although it’s assumed that is with out towing a 3,300-pound sports activities coupe on a 1,500-pound trailer.
Perhaps displaying this determine straight after the eighth-mile drag, mixed with Musk’s declare of the truck beating out the Porsche in 1 / 4 mile, is what led to this false impression.
It’s exhausting to know precisely what occurred right here, since we will not ask Tesla, which does not converse to the media. An examination of the video reveals it was undoubtedly an eighth-of-a-mile; the grandstands do not prolong to the quarter-mile marker.
It’s additionally not clear how Tesla truly spec’d its dealer-lot Porsche 911. Musk merely mentioned it was an “actual” 911 and that Tesla had picked it up from a dealership. The lowliest (if you wish to name such a automotive that) 911 Carrera crosses the quarter mile in round 12.2 seconds and gives a zero-to-60 MPH dash in 3.9 seconds—that’s with a handbook transmission. Porsche’s fast-shifting PDK dual-clutch gearbox shaves a half-second from that zero-to-60 time. It would seem that Tesla’s monitor automotive used a handbook transmission, because the nostril of the automotive might be seen dipping whereas the automotive shifts into second gear throughout Tesla’s race footage.
In Tesla’s protection, the tri-motor Cybertruck is remarkably fast. Plus, it’s round $15,000 cheaper than the Porsche. But it’s price calling out that there in all probability isn’t a lot overlap in people who cross-shop these autos, particularly because the 911 is engineered extra for steadiness than for straight-line pace, anyway.
That being mentioned, the Cybertruck additionally supposedly wasn’t engineered only for straight-line pace however it’s a lot quick anyway. In an interview with Tesla’s chief designer, Franz Von Holzhausen, it was revealed that CEO Musk mandated that the Cybertruck “had to drive like a sports car but have all the utility of a pickup truck”—all while its first prototype was delivered in just 93 days. Part of Tesla’s resolution for this was within the sail panels of the truck. That panel alone is answerable for 25% of the automobile’s torsional stiffness.
Despite all of this, we will in all probability assume that bombing the truck round a correct racetrack possible doesn’t really feel like similar as a Porsche 911.
I’ll give Tesla credit score the place it’s due: the stunt was good. It acquired individuals (together with me) commending the automaker for an amazing job at advertising a flagship product 4 years within the making. But, one may argue that the mentioning of the quarter mile time straight after an eighth-mile race was additionally a bit deceptive in the identical go.
There’s no denying that the Cybertruck shall be fast to 60, or in a straight line from a dig. Hell, it even seems to have some fairly first rate towing benefits because of its all-electric torque. But whether or not it’s quicker than a Porsche 911 in a quarter-mile race, whereas towing one other 911, stays unclear.