Tesla Model 3 Humiliates 2017 Ford Mustang Ecoboost In A Race, And ICE Fans Are Getting Offended
It’s pretty ironic, but the Model 3, Tesla’s most disruptive vehicle to date, is also the slowest car in its lineup. According to Tesla, the long-range version of the Model 3 is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in as little as 5.1 seconds, far slower than the Model S P100D’s 2.28-second time. As it turns out, however, the electric car might be a little bit faster than that, as proven by a recent drag race featuring the mass market electric compact vehicle competing against a classic American muscle car.
A recent race video, uploaded by Brian Jenkins of the i1Tesla YouTube channel, features a long-range Model 3 battling it out against a 2017 Ford Mustang with Ecoboost. According to Jenkins, the Model 3 in the video had a slight disadvantage in the race, since the car had been significantly discharged after doing multiple runs the whole day. By the time it raced the 2017 Ford Mustang, the Model 3 only had a little bit more than half its charge, which somewhat lowered the performance of the electric car.
The 2017 Ford Mustang with Ecoboost is no joke, either. While the American muscle car does not have the angry V8 of its predecessors, the 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder turbo engine vehicle generates a pretty formidable 310 hp to its wheels. Ford’s rating for the muscle car’s 0-60 mph times is 5.6 seconds, well into the Model 3’s territory. Considering that the Tesla was pretty much weakened at this point, things seemed to be in favor of the 2017 Mustang.
When the run started, things became grim for the screaming ICE car. As soon as the lights turned green, the Model 3 started pulling, and then it continued pulling even more until the end of the 1/8-mile race. By the time the race finished, the 2017 Ford Mustang with Ecoboost was significantly behind the Tesla Model 3, with the ICE muscle car ending the run at 9.3 seconds, and the electric vehicle at 8.7 seconds.
While many can argue that the 2017 Ford Mustang with Ecoboost is pretty much the slowest of the Mustang line, it is important to note that the Model 3 is the least powerful of Tesla’s vehicles as well. The top-of-the-line Model 3, at least for now, still lags significantly behind the performance of the base Model S. Plus, coupled with the low charge, the Model 3 in Jenkins’ video was not in top shape at all.
Despite this, the video has managed to rile up the ICE community. In the comments section of Jenkins’ YouTube video alone, some ICE fans alleged that the Tesla cheated by spinning its wheels before the lights turned green, despite the fact that the muscle car was pretty much doing the same. Others further alleged that the sensors in the drag strip were probably malfunctioning. These, of course, were immediately debunked by Jenkins, who stated that the drag strip’s equipment was working completely fine when the Model 3 battled the 2017 Mustang.
