A Tesla Model 3 Raced A $90,000 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The Results Were Shockingly Close

• The Tesla Model 3 Performance went head-to-head with a supercharged Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
• Edmunds put the two cars to the test, and the result is shockingly close.
• The Model 3 costs less than $60,000, while the Mustang Dark Horse with a supercharger kit is over $30,000 more.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance is one of the best—if not the best—sports sedans money can buy today. It has four doors, enough room for a family and it can get your blood pumping. It’s also not as expensive as some comparable gas cars, which makes it a great deal, too.

Then there’s the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. A two-door pony car developed specifically for the race track. In standard guise, its starting price is about $60,000, the same as a Model 3 Performance, but if you’re the kind of person who likes a bit of extra oomph, then you go for a supercharger kit, which hikes the final price to $90,000.

That’s what Edmunds did, anyway, and then tossed its supercharged Mustang in the ring alongside an unmodified Model 3 Performance. On paper, the supercharged Mustang makes 810 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque, while the Model 3 Performance makes do with 510 hp and 554 lb-ft.

Interestingly, despite having a huge battery in its floor, the electric Model 3 is lighter than the souped-up Mustang. That matters, as you’ll see for yourself in the video embedded above. The two cars follow a simple route: They do a quarter-mile sprint, then brake hard, do a U-turn, and accelerate back to the start/finish line. It’s a simple test that focuses on all the essentials: acceleration, braking, cornering and top speed.

After the first run, the drivers swap cars and lanes to keep things fair, but in this race, both runs were identical. The Tesla Model 3 demolishes the Mustang Dark Horse off the line, but the gas-powered Ford slowly catches up, thanks to its sheer top-end grunt. In the end, it’s extremely close—maybe a little too close for such a big price difference.

If anyone had any doubts that the Model 3 Performance is a killer deal, this video proves that it’s still the best bang-for-buck sports car out there. Despite having four doors and a big battery in the floor, the Model 3 Performance will outrun some of the most souped-up gas cars on the quarter mile.

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