Science

Elon Musk Shares Stunning Race Video of Model X Crushing Gas SUVs

Elon Musk/Instagram

The Tesla Model X is a serious performer, and Elon Musk knows it. The CEO shared a video on his personal Instagram Wednesday that demonstrates just how powerful the electric sports utility vehicle is, which shows the car racing against an Alfa Romeo 4C Spider while towing another Spider on the back.

Given the eye-popping reveal of the new Roadster last month, it may be easy to forget that Tesla has an existing repertoire of high-performance vehicles. The Roadster promises zero to 60 miles per hour in under 1.9 seconds and a 620-mile range when it hits the road in 2019. But the Model X is already a powerful machine, as Musk demonstrated with his Instagram post.

The video, produced by Motor Trend Channel last year, sees senior features editors Jason Cammisa and Jonny Lieberman pitting the 2016 model in Ludicrous mode against the 2017 Bentley Bentayga, the fastest sports utility vehicle in the world at the time of filming. But while its 187 mph top speed edges out the Model X’s 155 mph, in a quarter-mile race the Model X claims top prize in 11.7 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the Bentley.

The team then up the ante by pitting the Model X against an Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. Before starting, they then placed another Spider on a tow trailer, and hooked it onto the back of the Model X. Although it wasn’t a scientific test, the Tesla comes out the clear winner.

Unfortunately, Musk was constrained by the 15 second video limits of Instagram, so his video cuts off at the crucial moment. Here’s the full video, where the two vehicles face off at the three minute mark:

Expect similar face-offs when the $200,000 Roadster launches in two years time.

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