And of course, Mercedes’ in-house high-performance hothouse is littered with ICE machines dripping in brawn and dynamic brilliance.
Design
And the Tesla? Well, its tacky Plaid boot badge certainly doesn’t carry the kudos of an M or AMG sticker – at least not yet. And then there’s the name itself, which is typically Elon-eccentric, being a sniggering frat-boy nod to one of his favourite 1980s films, the goofball comedy Spaceballs. Hmm…
Despite its mind-boggling power output, the Plaid looks pretty much like any other Model S. You could argue that the fact it’s available in left-hand-drive only adds an air of exoticism, in the manner of the E30 BMW M3 or Lancia Delta Integrale, but you would be clutching at straws.
Still, it’s handsome and well-proportioned and is more distinctive than the ‘bar of soap left in a bath’ aesthetic of the EQE. By comparison, the square-rigged i5 looks the most familiar, its traditional three-box profile being a result of the need also to accommodate the petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains necessary as part of its dual role as the all-new 5 Series.
The contrasts continue when you climb aboard, where once again the Tesla does very little to remind you of its flagship status.
The recently updated interior still has the brand’s minimalist layout, so it’s dominated by a large and surprisingly easy-to-use central touchscreen. It’s also the roomiest, using its EV packaging to best effect to deliver the most head and leg room, along with the biggest boot, complete with underfloor storage for charging cables.