Superbikes versus supercars have always been fascinating. Now, the Tesla Model S Plaid doesn’t technically qualify as a supercar, but given its drag strip performances, it won’t be wrong to call it one. Brooks from ‘DragTimes’ recently pit his Tesla Model S Plaid against a 2012 Suzuki Hayabusa. The Hayabusa had some changes made to it, including a tune that helped it put over 200 horses to the rear wheel. Do you think it will be enough to give Tesla that rare ‘L’?

The Paper Specs Point To A Nail-Biting Race

Power is routed to all four wheels. The EV is riding on Michelin Pilot 4S tires. It weighs 4,833 pounds.

The owner, Johnny, has equipped it with a new swingarm, new tires, and given it a tune. Courtesy of this, the superbike makes 202 horses to the rear wheels. It weighs 496 pounds, whereas the rider, with the suit on, adds another 214 pounds.

That Was Closer Than We Expected

They took part in two races. The Model S Plaid was quicker off the line and got a sizeable lead, but the Hayabusa started catching up soon. It got quite close towards the end, but missed out by the narrowest of margins. It took 9.439 seconds at 154.46 mph to finish the quarter-mile race, whereas the Plaid completed it in 9.360 seconds at 149.46 mph.

The second race was much better for the Hayabusa. The Plaid got off the line quicker this time as well, but the superbike was able to catch it up comfortably and eventually reached the finish line first. The Busa recorded a time of 9.355 seconds at 155.74 mph, whereas the Plaid did it in 9.392 seconds with a trap speed of 148.97 mph.

However, the reaction times revealed that the rider jumped the line. The reaction time was -0.12 seconds, which is less than the difference it had with the Plaid at the finish line. But, technically, it’s a loss for the Hayabusa.

Final Thoughts

So, what could have been 1-1 turned out to be 2-0 win for the Plaid. A mighty close race, though. While at the drag strip, Brooks saw a Porsche 911 Turbo S race a McLaren 720S. The Brit won this race, completing the quarter-mile in 10.19 seconds at 145.09 mph. The Porsche finished in 10.98 seconds at 128.11 mph. We also saw a Mercedes-AMG GLE63 come out there to stretch its legs. It took 13.13 seconds at 105.31 mph to sprint the quarter-mile distance.

What are your thoughts on the Plaid versus Hayabusa? Watch the video below and share them with us in the comments section below.