RoadandTrack
3 HN mentions · mentioned in 3 months, 2015–2019
4:58 · 825K views · Mar 11, 2014
Road & Track puts a 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo through 50 back-to-back launch-control runs on a SoCal runway. The car completes 61 launches before the testers lose count.
HN cites it as the reference for repeatable performance, especially when comparing Tesla's Ludicrous mode and other EV launches.
3 comments from Hacker News
i think the 991 turbo S is a more apt comparison in terms of price. it's also is tested at 2.5s 0-60, will certainly outrun the tesla over long distances and top speed, and can launch 50 times in a row, at least (this is probably only limited by gasoline). it's also very fast around a track, which you can lap repeatedly, many times, on a single tank of gas. this video the tesla is an amazing vehicle but it's not the same thing as a high end sports car which was built to give maximum performance with high endurance over long distances. all of the sports car stuff came out of F1 and LeMans and FIA rally research and development. a tesla isn't designed to do any of those things. it's designed to take you to work or your weekend destination really, really fast and in comfort and then take you home and sit charging overnight. and clearly it does that job excellently but people insist on comparing to other use cases which is just dumb. it's like comparing a pickup truck to a 918 spyder.
> And you can do that back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back... for an hour (with say 50 standing starts), non-stop. You'll see little variation in the result, and the car won't throw up its hands and say the party's over until it takes a rest. Funny you say that, Road & Track did exactly that in 2014 with a Porsche 911 Turbo[1] and they were able to do 61 back-to-back launches. [1] this video
>simply incapable of that The car computer actually prevents you from doing too many launches to avoid damaging the car. I'm sure you've seen this, but it's amazing nonetheless: this video