As far as promotional stunts go, Cybertruck taking on a Porsche and handily beating it in a drag race, all the while carrying another Porsche is a pretty neat trick. However, there’s more to it than meets the eye
Tesla’s Cybertruck is making all sorts of headlines. Despite its delay and shortcomings with pricing and driving range, Elon Musk’s latest EV once again shows how Tesla makes EVs fun. During the unveiling of its new Cybertruck, Elon Musk showcased just how quick the 6800-pound EV pickup actually is. However, there is more to it than meets the eye.
In a short video that Musk and Tesla posted on X, we see a Tesla Cybertruck, handily beating a superfast Porsche 911 in a drag race. As astounding as it is, what is even more surprising is the fact that the Cybertruck outperformed the Porsche while towing a different Porsche behind it, on a flatbed.
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That EVs, have an insane acceleration compared to even the best of ICE cars is a well-established fact. The reason why Cybertruck’s feat with the Porsche is even more impressive is because of its sustained capability to run at its peak performance — a mix between high torque and break horsepower — while carrying the weight of a car.
All of this is pretty impressive. That is, until you start looking at it closely.
The race’s distance remains unclear, and the specific configuration of the Cybertruck featured in the video is unknown. Although the precise variant of the 911 used in the race cannot be identified, it is evident that a 992-generation model without side intakes was used for the race. This implies that Tesla had a Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera T, or Carrera GTS on their hands, rather than a trim known for its straight-line speed, such as the 911 Turbo.
Following the video presentation, a graphic revealed a claimed quarter-mile time of under 11 seconds and a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds. These figures align with the specifications of the highest-priced “Cyberbeast” trim available on Tesla’s website.
Tesla’s event display boards introduced the concept of “Beast Mode” for the Cybertruck, allowing the tri-motor drivetrain to generate a maximum of 845 horsepower, as stated on the board. With an asserted curb weight of 6850 pounds, it appears plausible that a Cybertruck towing another vehicle could outperform a 911 in a straight line, at least for a brief period.
On the flip side, the less formidable nature of the lower trims isn’t as exhilarating as the Cyberbeast.
Both the standard all-wheel-drive and the fundamental rear-wheel-drive models have a 0-60 mph time that exceeds four seconds. The rear-wheel-drive variant of the Cybertruck, slated for release in 2025, requires 6.5 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph.