Speed Week: Tesla Model S P85D vs BMW i8 - Top Gear
Mercifully, I’m not sat here in the Tesla Model S modelling Bacofoil, and lunch was a beefburger, in lieu of Orwellian vitamin pills and intravenous nutrient paste. Alongside it is perhaps BMW’s greatest achievement to date, the mind-blowing i8. Meet the first EV (and sub-£700k hybrid) ever invited to Speed Week, and they’re certainly not here to offset our carbon footprint or as a sop to the noise limit... No, I’m gliding out of the pitlane in the Tesla with total impunity because, quite simply, it’s the fastest car here. That won’t be news to anyone with a working internet connection really, as the Model S has surpassed surprised cats and Russian dashcams to become the darling of YouTube virality. Search for ‘P85D drag race’ and you’ll tumble down a virtual rabbit hole of Teslas obliterating McLarens, Lamborghinis and (look away, Generation PlayStation) Nissan’s drag-race king, the GT-R, from standstill. The Model S has been irritating automotive aristocracy since 2012, but it’s the ‘P85D’ moniker that’s critical for the car’s online stardom and alarming, pulverising acceleration. In addition to the rear axle’s 464bhp e-motor, which was already potent enough to make the Model S ballistically quick for a Panamera-sized barge, the D adds a 218bhp motor to the front axle. Source: www.topgear.com
