The folks at Carwow pit the Tesla Model 3 Performance against the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S in a series of drag races. It seems a little unfair at the onset because the Tesla Model 3 Performance is a beast when it comes to straight-line sprints, but the CLA45 did its best to make sure it wasn’t a lopsided race. To make things even more interesting, the Mercedes is tuned to make the exact same power output as the EV; but will the Tesla’s instantaneous torque come into play?

How Much Power Do The Cars Make?

Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Since there’s one motor on each axle, power is routed to all four wheels.

The Mercedes CLA45 S weighs in at 3,693 pounds, almost 400 pounds lighter than the 4,072-pound Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Same Power Outputs, But Different Power Source

In the first drag race, the Tesla Model 3 Performance sprinted off the line. It took a healthy lead over the German, although the latter was able to close in on the gap in the end. It could’ve been even closer, but the Mercedes had fishtailed off the starting line. However, the Model 3 won the race. In the second drag race, the CLA45 S got better traction and a better start, but it still lost. Had this been a half-mile race, things could’ve been different. The Model 3 Performance recorded a quarter-mile time of 11.8 seconds, whereas the AMG CLA45 S fell short by just 0.1 seconds.

Next up was the rolling race from 50 mph in comfort mode. The Model 3 Performance flew past the CLA45 S. It was about to catch up once it crossed 120 mph, but the Model 3 driver braked by then. They attempted the race again and the start was the same, but this time, the German was able to get past the Model 3 at 122 mph.

For the next rolling race, they switched to track/race setting and started from 50 mph. The Model 3 wasn’t able to leave the Mercedes in the dust like the other times, but it was still ahead for a fair bit. This time, the Mercedes went past it at around 110 mph.

Finally, there was the brake test from 70 mph. The Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S kept gliding on the tarmac since the track was damp. The Model 3, however, stopped at a much shorter distance, thus getting the win.

Watch the video below and share your thoughts with us in the comments section.