DRAG RACE: Can A Tuned Honda Civic Beat A Tesla Model S Plaid?

Jul. 10, 2023 10:08 AM ET byCesar Miguel Video /2 Comments

The answer is yes, but modifications are required… lots of them.

Can a sixth-generation Honda Civic (EK) beat the mightyTesla Model S Plaidin a drag race? That sounds impossible, but it did happen, and with video evidence, too, which you can see in the video below. The race took place in Jamaica, and the Civic that defeated the S Plaid was a little special...

The Civic EK in question is dubbed the second fastest K-series build in the tropical island nation. Built by a shop called Little T, the hatch has a full-on drag build similar to thatCivic that raced a Ford F-150previously. Its got an all-wheel-drive conversion, 900 horsepower, and a massive turbo.

Lifestyle Settingz/YouTube

The Model S Plaid, in turn, has also gained a reputation as a hypercar smasher. For example, we've already seen itbeat the Bugatti Divo. It also eats the more powerfulLucid Air for breakfast, albeit not in Sapphire trim. Note that the particular example on the video might also have some mods, though none was mentioned.

In the actual quarter-mile race, the Civic was quicker off the line than the Model S. At the midway point, the EV caught up, but the K-powered drag car quickly gained an advantage and reached the finish line with a clear gap over the battery-powered car.

Lifestyle Settingz/YouTube

The final times for the race read at 9.675 seconds for the Model S Plaid and 9.673 seconds for the AWD drag hatch. For a Civic, that is properly quick. It's even faster than that1988 drag Civicfrom Ottimoto Racing that dropped our jaw a few years back.

The Tesla, curiously enough, we know is capable of doing more. Remember that the Texas-based EV manufacturer claims the Model S Plaid is capable of a 9.23 quarter mile, so something might be up with that particular one Little T went against. Driver error, perhaps? Regardless, it's really fun to see built internal combustion cars holding a candle against monsters of the electric car era, no matter how many modifications they require to achieve so.