The good folks at Edmunds staged a race sometime last year and we pulled it out of their stash. The race sees a Tesla Model S Plaid take on two superbikes, one being the new 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa, and the other, a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R. Usually, you’d expect the four-wheeler to be an underdog in such situations. But, knowing the Plaid’s prowess, can it really be called the underdog here?

Tesla Model S Plaid vs Suzuki Hayabusa

The 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid comes with three electric motors that churn out 1,020 horses combined. It weighs 4,842 pounds. As for the price, it costs $131,190.

The 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa features a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 188 horsepower. It has a manufacturer-claimed weight of 582 pounds. This bike will leave you lighter by $19,009.

The first race between these two was a standing drag race. Both started well, but, it was too windy out there and created a lot of drag for Chris on the Hayabusa. Off the line, the Hayabusa did a wheelie and Chris struggled to keep the front end down and avoid the bike from going sideways. The Tesla won this round comfortably, but they decided to give it another shot. Was it any better? Well, not really because the Hayabusa lost the second round as well.

The third round between these two was a roll race from 40 mph. This was pretty interesting because the Hayabusa was the quicker one at kickdown and kept that way till the very end to win the race. The Plaid wasn’t too far behind, but the result on paper notes that the Plaid lost. Carlos, the host driving the Plaid, noted that the biker jumped the line. They did the roll race again, but this time, the Plaid managed to pip the ‘Busa despite the latter getting a better kickdown. It’s a pretty big deal for a car to overtake a superbike in a quarter-mile roll race after the bike had a better kickdown and got the lead straight away.

Tesla Model S Plaid vs Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R

The Plaid’s next nemesis was the 2021 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R. It is powered by a 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engine and puts out 208 horsepower. It weighs a little more than the Hayabusa – 593 pounds. The Ninja is cheaper than the Hayabusa, costing $15,649.

The first drag race between them didn’t go well as the Ninja had a poor launch. A rematch ensued, and this time, the Ninja did better than the first race. However, it couldn’t beat the Tesla this time either. Chris noted that the Ninja got a perfect launch this time around, but the Plaid is just too much for it.

Next up was the roll race from 40 mph. Being a more powerful machine than the ‘Busa, the Ninja was bound to be the better one here… and it was. It beat the Tesla convincingly to score a win. The Plaid started suffering from performance degradation after a number of runs already, but not so bad that it hit a brick wall.

The second roll race was arguably the best one till now, and that includes the Hayabusa’s as well. The superbike and the super’family’car were neck-and-neck till the very end to end the race with a photo finish. The Plaid might have had its nose ahead at the finish line, but we won’t discredit the Kawasaki here and call it a draw.

Watch this amazing race below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.