Is a 2023 Tesla Model S Faster Than a Chevrolet Corvette C8?
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The 2023 Tesla Model S and the range-topping Plaid build on the electric vehicle’s (EV’s) tenure as one of the last words in high-voltage super sedans. Still, the Model S isn’t without its rivals from the gas-powered side of the industry. Enter the Chevrolet Corvette C8 and its ballistic top performer, the C8 Z06. So, can the Model S contend with the best Corvettes out of Bowling Green? Or is the Corvette formula not up to the challenge?
While thunderous, the C8 Corvette can’t outmuscle the Tesla Model S
The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, with its revolutionary 5.5L LT6 flat-plane V8, produces 670 horsepower. It’s a familiar figure, given it’s the same relative horsepower that the dual-motor Model S makes.
| Model | Horsepower | Torque |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model S | 670 hp | N/A |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 1,020 hp | 1,050 lb-ft |
| Chevrolet Corvette Stingray | 495 hp | 470 lb-ft |
| Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | 670 hp | 460 lb-ft |
However, the news changes with Tesla’s current sprinter in a three-piece suit: the Model S Plaid. Riding on a tri-motor, 400-volt, 100-kWh platform, the Plaid produces 1,020 horsepower, nearly twice as much as the range-topping C8 Corvette.
How fast is a 2023 Corvette from 0 to 60?
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray will hit 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. As a result, the 6.2L V8-powered Corvette is the quickest-accelerating base-model Corvette in the nameplate’s history, outsprinting the C7 Corvette Z51 by nearly a second.
Despite comparatively massive power reserves, the Z06 will shave just 0.2 seconds off its dash to 60 mph. Of course, the Z06’s foe is its corner-happy RWD platform and traction limitations upon launch. Quite simply, the flat-plane Corvette wants to consume its tires every time it takes off.
How fast does a 2023 Tesla Model S go from 0 to 60?
The dual-motor 2023 Tesla Model S boasts a 3.1-second sprint to 60 mph. However, in testing, Car and Driver managed to get the non-Plaid sedan to 60 in just 2.4 seconds with their metrics.
Either way, the Model S is much quicker than many gas-powered pedigree performance cars, like the Toyota GR Supra 3.0. Of course, the news gets even more maniacal with the Plaid. Using every bit of its tri-motor AWD grip and vast power reserves, the Model S Plaid will hit 60 mph in just 1.99 seconds.
Is the Tesla Model S showing Chevrolet Corvette dust in a drag race?
Of Tesla’s quickest Model S trims, the Plaid reigns supreme. While the standard dual-motor Model S isn’t quicker than the Chevrolet Corvette on paper, the tri-motor Plaid’s blistering 9.3-second quarter mile time will dust the Corvette Stingray and the C8 Z06.
| Model | 0-60 mph | ¼ mile | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model S | 3.1 seconds | N/A | 149 mph |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 1.9 seconds | 9.3 seconds | 200 mph |
| Chevrolet Corvette Stingray | 2.8 seconds | 11.2 seconds | 184 mph |
| Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | 2.6 seconds | 10.5 seconds | 189 mph |
Believe it or not, Tesla’s launch-happy Plaid is more affordable than the Bow Tie’s high-revving V8 supercar. Specifically, Tesla says the latest Plaid sedan starts at $89,990, making it (again, surprisingly) one of the most affordable cars on the market with a 200-mph top speed.
Of course, the Chevrolet Corvette C8, especially the Z51 and Z06, aren’t one-trick acts. No, the ‘Vette lives for bleeding edge cornering and track work. The Z06 from the C7 generation managed a 7:13.90 lap of the historic Nürburgring. What’s more, the Tesla Model S Plaid took a comparably leisurely 7:30:909 to lap the same “Green Hell.” While the Model S Plaid will outsprint the Corvette Stingray and Z06, it wouldn’t be anywhere near the C8 Z06 on a circuit.
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