Elon Musk’s claim that the Tesla Cybertruck could outrun a Porsche 911 in a quarter-mile race while towing another 911, generated a lot of buzz. Experts like Chris Chilton and Jason Fenske questioned the claim, and Motor Trend put it to the test.
They used a privately owned Cybertruck with a trailer carrying a Porsche 911 Carrera T (the lightest non-Dakar model) and raced it against a separate 911. They even used the same lightweight trailer Tesla used in its promotional video.
The results? Fenske’s math was spot on. The Porsche 911 consistently beat the towing Cybertruck in the quarter-mile, with a maximum lead of 0.7 seconds and a minimum of 0.2 seconds. Surprisingly, the Porsche even won in most eighth-mile races (likely the distance shown in Tesla’s video), with the Cybertruck only winning once and tying twice.
Despite the loss, the Cybertruck impressed. Fenske found it surprisingly quick and stable while towing, even calling it a testament to the truck’s capabilities.
This may not be a victory for Musk’s claims, but it highlights the Cybertruck’s impressive performance. Remember, sometimes it’s best to take claims with a grain of salt.