It's electricity versus gasoline in this drag race.
The Volkswagen ID.3 has been making waves in the automotive industry, piquing the interest of many who would normally be averse to an electric vehicle. Besides its attractive pricing, it's engineered well enough to impress Elon Musk of Tesla notoriety. But it's not the kind of car you expect to see taking part in a drag race, and especially not against something as quick as a Golf GTI. Nevertheless, that's the race that Volkswagen of Spain decided to put on. To make things a little fairer, the drag race is over 60 meters, or just under 197 feet, a distance that gives the electric ID.3 an advantage thanks to its instant torque.
As a refresher, the new Golf GTI produces 245 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, while the ID.3 only generates 204 hp. The ID.3 is also heavier than the GTI, but it does have the benefit of instant torque that is all sent to the rear wheels. With such a short race, it shouldn't be all that surprising that the ID.3 won. Sadly, the ID.3 won't be coming to the States, although we will be getting the even cooler ID.4. Not that this matters though, as the GTI's larger size and better handling characteristics are sure to make it as big a hit as ever.
Although this was clearly a race that was set up as a marketing stunt to favor the electric car, it does remind us that electric cars have their benefits. Low maintenance costs, instant torque, and tax rebates are all great advantages. However, we also are reminded that electric cars lose soul. There are no gears to shift, and although the GTI in the above video features a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, it is available with a six-speed manual too, much like its recently-revealed big brother, the Golf R. As fun and silly as this video was, we'll stick with the GTI for as long as possible.
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