In a YouTube video published Saturday, carwow pits a Tesla Model 3 Performance against a BMW i4 M50 in a drag race between two of the hottest all-electric sedans on the market.
The BMW i4 M50 is the ‘M Performance’ version of the base BMW i4 electric vehicle (EV) that was unveiled back in March. The i4 M50 sports a dual-motor AWD powertrain that produces 544 horsepower, and weighs 4883 lbs (2,215 kg).
The Model 3 Performance boasts a dual-motor AWD powertrain as well, but packs a slightly lighter punch at just 490 horsepower of output. The Tesla is, however, markedly lighter than the BMW at 4071 lbs (1,847 kg).
The Tesla Model 3 Performance also has price working in its favor, since it costs £59,990 or $58,990 USD while the BMW i4 M50 has a sticker price of £63,905 or $65,900 USD.
With both cars successfully employing Launch Control, the BMW inched out a win in a race that was truly neck and neck. The i4 M50 finished the 1/4 mile in 11.9 seconds, while the Tesla finished biting at its heels in 12.0 seconds.
To test some of the differences in acceleration and power delivery between the two cars, the two racers ran the 1/4 mile another three times, from 30 mph, 50 mph, and 100 mph respectively.
The Model 3 Performance posted its first win in the 1/4 mile race from 30 mph but lost out to the BMW in the next two.
These results demonstrate that the Model 3 Performance takes off quicker and harder than the BMW i4 M50 from a stop or at lower speeds, allowing the driver to gain a lot of ground at the very beginning. However, the Model 3’s acceleration plateaus earlier than on the BMW, which keeps delivering more power in the late game even as you approach higher speeds.
Last up was a brake test, where both drivers braked to a stop from 100 mph. The Model 3 Performance outdid the BMW, leveraging its lower weight and solid regenerative braking to stop well before its competitor.
Tesla is currently rumored to be working on ‘Performance V2’ variants of both the Model 3 and Model Y.
