The gauntlet has been thrown. Ford CEO Jim Farley says he's open to a drag race between the Mustang Mach-E and the new Tesla Model S Plaid. Tesla stock rose.
CEO Elon Musk has yet to respond.
The suggestion came up June 12, as a response to a tweet in which Farley thanked Ford Performance for letting him test drive the electric Mustang.
Asked if the Mustang Mach-E would be drag racing the Tesla Model S Plaid "for bragging rights," Farley replied: "Good idea."
The one-off race car features no fewer than seven electric motors three in the front and four at the rear — packing a total of 1,400 horsepower.
By comparison, the Plaid features three electric motors that produce 1,020 hp. It's also larger than the Mach-E, because it's a four-door sedan. Tesla delivered the first 25 Model S Plaid vehicles at an event on June 10 at its Fremont, Calif. plant.
Despite a slight edge in horsepower for the Mustang Mach-E, the Plaid appears to have better acceleration. Ford claims the Mach-E GT can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds, while Tesla says the Model S Plaid, its fastest model, can do it in under 2 seconds.
On June 12, car collector and comedian Jay Leno tested the Model S Plaid and broke a world acceleration record for a quarter mile. He posted a new time for the quarter-mile of 9.247 seconds, clocking in at 152.09 mph. Leno drove it down the drag strip of the Formosa Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., filming the event for his show Jay Leno's Garage.
If history is any indication, Musk may take up the offer to stage a drag race. He previously accepted a tug-of-war challenge from Ford between its F-150 and Tesla's Cybertruck. But Ford withdrew the invite soon after, saying the challenge was just "tongue in cheek."
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Tesla Stock
Shares were up 0.9% to 604.13 on the stock market today. Tesla stock is trading below its 50-day line and just below its 200-day line according to MarketSmith chart analysis. Shares are around 30% below their all-time high of 900.40, notched intraday on Jan. 25.
Tesla's relative strength line is going sideways near 2021 lows. Its RS Rating is 83 out of a possible 99. Its EPS Rating is 74.
Meanwhile, Ford stock edged up 0.1%. Shares are extended from a 13.72 buy point. Ford is a Leaderboard stock.
Ferrari, which will launch its first all-electric supercar in 2025, fell 0.9%. And Volkswagen, which debuted an electric Porsche Taycan in 2019, lost 2.5%.
Follow Adelia Cellini Linecker on Twitter @IBD_Adelia.
