Tesla’s Model S P85D proves it’s quick on ice by racing a snowmobile

By Stephen Edelstein March 13, 2015

P85D vs. snowmobile

We’ve already seen the Tesla Model S P85D beat a Ferrari 550,

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Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, and even its predecessor in drag races, but this latest matchup really shows off the breadth of its capabilities.

That’s because the P85D’s most recent challenger is a snowmobile, and instead of a stretch of highway or drag strip, the contest takes place on a frozen lake.

The snowmobile in question is a Lynx Boondocker, powered by an 800-cc, two-stroke Rotax engine with around 160 horsepower.

That would seem to give the 691-hp Tesla an advantage, but keep in mind that the Boondocker is also much lighter than the car, and has a much larger contact patch. The Tesla also lacked studded snow tires.

However in the actual race, which you can see on klikk.no, it’s no contest. The Tesla’s all-wheel drive system launches the car cleanly while the snowmobile spins its track, and the car’s prodigious power finishes the job.

So, if you were wondering whether the P85D makes a good winter car, the answer is “yes.”

The only other question seems to be “what will the Tesla race next?”

Now that’s proven itself at ice driving, it would actually be interesting to see a chilly race between the P85D and a Nissan GT-R. One of those was clocked at 182 mph on a frozen Russian lake a couple of years ago, wearing non-studded winter tires.

Or maybe Tesla owners shouldn’t even bother going back to the automotive realm for competition. Maybe it’s time to set up a race between a Model S P85D and a jet airplane.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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