In this new video from Carwow, we get to see a very entertaining series of tests of the BMW M5 Competition, Mercedes-AMG GT 4, Porsche Panamera Turbo S E Hybrid and the Tesla Model S. There’s no getting around it — these are some of the fastest sedans in the world. The only one missing is the Mercedes-AMG E63 S but that’s sort of represented by the AMG GT4. So how do these four cars do against each other. Let’s find out.
First up is a quarter-mile drag race from a standing start. With all four cars using their launch control, the Tesla Model S P100D destroys the other three cars, though they’re all seriously fast. The Tesla clocks its quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds, which is seriously absurd for a stock sedan. The Porsche and AMG are slower but still manage times in the eleven second range, which is still crazy fast. Unfortunately for the BMW M5, it takes 12.4 seconds to reach the same mark.
According to Carwow’s Mat Watson, the BMW’s issues stem from its launch control, which can often fail to shift quick enough and let the engine bog at its rev limiter. Anyone who’s ever used BMW’s launch control systems know they’re incredibly annoying, so I believe him. He also says that the last time he drag raced an M5 Competition, when the launch control behaved properly, he managed an 11.1 seconds quarter-mile time, which would have tied for second in this race with the AMG.
Next up was a rolling drag race, which the AMG GT4 actually won by just a hair after reeling in the Tesla late. After that was the braking test, where the Tesla won again, with the BMW M5 Competition coming in very close.
So the Tesla Model S P100D is still the most impressive performance sedan in the world in straight lines. There’s no question, if the road was twisty, it’d be destroyed by all three other contenders but there’s no denying its performance on a drag strip.
