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Golf R versus Tesla model 3.

dr_mat

Go Kart Champion
Location
Berkshire
Not a big surprise that a 2-wheel-drive 1.7 tonne car not as quick off the line as 4-wheel-drive 1.5 tonne car with a 30 bhp advantage .. also not a surprise that the Golf driver has to use launch control and get the computer to do it. :)
 

GolfR-BA

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Bay Area
First comparison like that I’ve seen. It would be good to see a comparison of handling or braking etc. as well.

FWIW I followed an acquaintance in a 3 into a twisty section of road. He hit the curves hard enough to go a little wide in a couple right turns, but he wasn’t able to gap me. I’d say the two cars may be close in handling too.
 

virpacalis

Go Kart Newbie
Location
near Philly
Car(s)
'17 R DSG
Model 3s are quick, some more than others.
 

dr_mat

Go Kart Champion
Location
Berkshire
The big advantage they have is where grip is marginal, because the electronic torque control is so much quicker reacting and more accurate it can extract a much higher % of available grip than an ICE car ever could.
If they did the same comparison against the dual-motor Tesla Model 3 (i.e. the 4-wheel-drive one) the Golf would be left standing.
 

dr_mat

Go Kart Champion
Location
Berkshire
To be fair, this is a comparison between the base model, entry level, Tesla model 3, against the pinnacle of VW petrol car performance engineering. The fact that the two-wheel drive entry level electric car is this close to the performance of a Golf R just shows how much time we wasted trying to get hp out of piston engines...
 

vw671

Autocross Newbie
Location
San Diego
The Golf-R vs SR+ comparison makes sense in a way because both are $40k cars.

Model3 performance cars are very fast cars, but they are $57k cars. Even if you save ~$5k over 5 years on gas that is still over $50k. So it's a comparison of a $40k car to t $50k car over 5 years of ownership.

You could easily build a stage-3 Golf-R under $50k and be faster than the Model-3 Performance.
 

riceburner

Autocross Champion
Location
nice try PPNT
Car(s)
MK5 Best GTI
^and still get ~30+mpg!

And look/handle/soudn a hell of a lot better to boot..

I get the point though. Electric is effing fast, even apples to apples comparison-wise
 

Fastlax16

Autocross Newbie
Location
Chitown
Car(s)
2019 DBP R
The Golf-R vs SR+ comparison makes sense in a way because both are $40k cars.

Model3 performance cars are very fast cars, but they are $57k cars. Even if you save ~$5k over 5 years on gas that is still over $50k. So it's a comparison of a $40k car to t $50k car over 5 years of ownership.

You could easily build a stage-3 Golf-R under $50k and be faster than the Model-3 Performance.

If you buy before year end you also get the $7500 tax credit, bringing the prices closer still. Makes the Model 3 performance a no brainer if you were cross shopping against say an s3 which is probably more likely in the real world.
 

vw671

Autocross Newbie
Location
San Diego
If you buy before year end you also get the $7500 tax credit, bringing the prices closer still. Makes the Model 3 performance a no brainer if you were cross shopping against say an s3 which is probably more likely in the real world.

I think the credit for Tesla already shrunk to $1,875 and will be gone next year.
 

vw671

Autocross Newbie
Location
San Diego
^and still get ~30+mpg!

And look/handle/soudn a hell of a lot better to boot..

I get the point though. Electric is effing fast, even apples to apples comparison-wise

Yep electric is cool for a city car...but personally I wouldn't take one on a road trip. I will probably replace my C-max plug-in hybrid to a Model 3 in 1-2 years.
 

uberdot

Autocross Champion
Location
Ten Forward
Car(s)
Silver 2017 6MT
One of these cars doesn't look like a naked Ken doll from the front..
 

XM_Rocks

Autocross Newbie
Location
Austin, TX
My buddy has a model 3 performance getting delivered next week. Hopefully I'm back in an R this spring and then I'll get some good dash cam shots of the back of a model 3 to share

?

I remember playing with a Tesla P85D when I had my 335i N54 w/ twin takes and a tune.

Perfect scenario, Highway 360, at a stoplight, almost no traffic early on a clear Sat morning.

The guy and his lady were in their 50’s, he turned his head and smiled, I knew it was on.

When the light turned green he rocketed out of there... it wasn’t even close.

Literally stomped a mud hole on me a mile wide... we’re talking literal school bus type lengths at 80-90.

Craziest shit I’ve ever seen... call me a believer after that.
 

Al_in_Philly

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia USA
To be fair, this is a comparison between the base model, entry level, Tesla model 3, against the pinnacle of VW petrol car performance engineering. The fact that the two-wheel drive entry level electric car is this close to the performance of a Golf R just shows how much time we wasted trying to get hp out of piston engines...
To be fair, that entry level Tesla cost quite a bit more than the pinnacle of VW petrol car performance engineering.
 
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