NEW Tesla Model 3 Performance Review // More Like POOformance, Amirite?

[@batasrki]

So, one of the latest Misha Charoudin's videos had the Model 3 Performance doing a lap of the Nordschleife. According to that owner, the brake overheating warning comes not from brakes actually overheating, but because Tesla's software estimates the possibility of overheating by tracking how hard the brake pedal is pushed. Which is, LOL. It's likely that the brakes were fading during Thomas's lap, but not fully gone. On the other hand, Misha couldn't do even half of a lap of Nordschleife with the Model 3 Performance's stock brakes, either.

[@lukyluke993]

The brakes were on fire in Mishas video 😂

[@xtianeskay5166]

Half a lap Nordschleife is 10km full send Misha. I mean 10km is not good for a performance version, but half a lap sounds like 50sec.

[@DannerBanks]

Thanks for this info, I trust Misha a lot so it is good to hear he found the same thing

[@batasrki]

@@xtianeskay5166 the brakes were on fire at the top of Foxhole, just before Adenauer Forst, so about 7km. Most of that is medium speed corners, not a lot of heavy braking. Third of a lap, :/

[@rainh]

Thomas says in the video he only did one lap because the brakes went squishy, not because of the warning light. That being said, pretty unforgivable to cheap out on actually sensing the temperature and trying to just do it via software. But that's just the same as every other component of every Tesla car, so...

[@maxjn0709]

I used to be a tesla tech, havent worked on these new model 3s, but the older ones were very underbuilt for the track. The base -> performance was a bigger drive unit in the back, upgraded dampers (they didnt feel very different), bigger brakes (larger front caliper and front sized rear rotors), 255s over 235s, and a lip spoiler. It felt VERY undersupported for its power and weight, and the tires were very stretched out on the wheel. The wheels are 9.5" if im remembering right, which a 265-285 would fit comfortably without rubbing. Since the front brakes werent any larger, either, it had similar issues in the video where they'd overheat, because they're not a sizable upgrade. On the service side, it was only beneficial because we could still fit 18" over the brakes need be. At least they kinda tried this time, but the brakes look identical to the pre facelifted version. Also the lip spoilers fall off often

[@LafemmebearMusic]

I love how you explained all this and so many people aren’t gonna pay attention because egos and feelings matter more than non anecdotal evidence…😅 le 😔

[@IfImYouAndYourMeWhat]

@@LafemmebearMusicthe people don’t like the empirical

[@sidpandya6827]

My previous gen model 3 performance has the 20 inch wheels but they’ve always run a 235 square setup. For me the biggest difference came down to power and the PS4S tires. Suspension was slightly better. I did the OEM track upgraded pads and fluid which made a WORLD of a difference

[@PigglyWigglyDeluxe]

So in other words they are built like crap. Shocker

[@dangrass]

No…they are actually extremely reliable and durable cars…built for a purpose.

[@mischievouself8047]

I don't care a thing about EV's and here I am watching a Model 3 review. These guys are truly exceptional.

[@dandylion1987]

Yeah I love the channel, EVs are just boring slop though.

[@PowerSportsQuebec]

Same here!

[@kidamere2408]

@@dandylion1987 eh im a true car guy i like all innovations if they ran on water i would still enjoy it for what they are i dont hate on it because of what fuel it runs on, but enjoy it for what differences they bring

[@dandylion1987]

@@kidamere2408 not liking EVs doesn’t preclude you from being a car enthusiast. Stop trying to make that link

[@TheGreektrojan]

@@dandylion1987 Not liking EV's doesn't make you a better car enthusiast either, which is the more common attitude you see.

[@slunasaurusrex]

I'm always surprised how different Throttle House, Savage Geese and Jason Cammisa's takes on the same car are. They're probably the three car reviewers I trust the most so I guess I just have to figure out who's driving style matches mine more and go with their take. Seems like Jason reviews more from the perspective of who the car is for and what it's mission is and how well it achieves that mission whereas TH is more about the details of the driving experience and SG goes into engineering and value details. I guess we have to pick which outlet is most like us and go with their take. or try to average all three.

[@ApothecaryTerry]

Different reviewers all have different perspectives and biases - I don't think it'd ever be a good approach for someone to buy a car based on a review, no matter how much they trust the reviewer. I find the only way really is to pick all the negatives that each of them find and use that as a list of things to look out for when test driving a car myself. That said, I feel like 90% of cars are bought on the basis "but my mate said these are good yeah" (99% of Golf R drivers 🤣 Not bad cars, but most owners are oblivious to that...). For me, usually TH are one of the most useful in terms of the sort of issues they highlight, along with others like JayEmm. On the extreme opposite end, Chris Harris only really reviews cars on the basis of how well they can go sideways on a private track day, while totally ignoring all aspects relevant to road use, which doesn't especially translate well to anything I'm ever likely to do even on a track day 😄 Savage Geese have a great approach, but I do find they sometimes focus heavily on some details that I find have tiny impacts on my experience so the relevance in their case is perhaps the least consistent, at least compared to my own experience.

[@lawrencelin272]

@@ApothecaryTerry 'looking for issues reviewers brought up' is a great approach I find all reviewers you mentioned sway on the side of enthusiast take, not everyone's main role of every vehicle they have is meant to tackle socal canyons full-time nor are we sitting here nitpicking about how soft the dash is I prefer the examination of the value propositon that gets brought up by savagegeese, as are actual long term reviews from owners, not a 2 min ridealong or 2 day feel press vehicle

[@ApothecaryTerry]

@@lawrencelin272 I agree that most reviewers focus on fast driving - it's why I often don't like the cars that get the best reviews! I love fast driving, but it's almost impossible to spend more than 10% of the time doing it really, so what the car is like the rest of the time matters a lot. We also all have different priorities in cars too. Some people aren't bothered by previous-gen Mercedes having screens that looked outdated in the 90s, attached to trim made of plastic of a quality that would embarrass a kebab van; all because they love the styling. Others, like me, don't care if the exterior is ugly, but won't buy a car with a bad interior (since that's where I sit) - I'd happily own a current M3/4, as long as I don't see anything reflective 😁 Stupid examples, obviously, but you get the sensible point behind them I'm sure!

[@lawrencelin272]

@@ApothecaryTerry happy motoring sir

[@ApothecaryTerry]

@@lawrencelin272 You too!

[@randysiggers5332]

"Underbuilt, under-engineered and as fast as possible." Dude, you're on fire with this one. You've developed a fine sense of snark. Well played! :P

[@KronosX3T]

I actually like the redesign. They just really need to work on suspension and brakes. The Ioniq 5N can do laps at the Nordschlife back to back. This can barely do two laps at the Throttle House test track.

[@PEACEOUTXX1]

Overheating and thermal issues is the biggest problem. Not sure how much like the design though. If anything it's just .. meh okk. Rear looks bland and the front looks like a Chinese fish thing. 😂 interior looks like a $5k company car. Sheezus

[@85Portar]

This car started burning after half a lap on the ring

[@frumpd63]

Ioniq 5N is $20k more.

[@G82Watts]

​@@PEACEOUTXX1god. Once u see the "chinese fish" u dont unsee it. 😂😂

[@volvo09]

​@@PEACEOUTXX1 yeah, i've always thought the front end of Teslas looks like a carp.

[@pvtcmyers87]

That customized entry sound had me in stitches. 🤣🤣

[@Adriaaan]

Where is that from?

[@FunkkyPanda69]

Bro really trying to find that sauce 😂

[@Tundra0128]

Mine is the “bruh” meme. So many people hear it in public and are just amazed that a Tesla can do that lmfao

[@djs18]

And FYI, I’ve been watching you guys for years. Best car reviews you can watch on KZbin hands-down. You guys are funny, good friends, you know how to drive, down to earth, and I’ll always watch you guys. Thanks for the content!

[@nickporter4279]

I really appreciate this being such a fair review. I'm really sick of people sneering over EVs and flat-out making things up, but this called out the actual problems and praised what it does well. No bias visible, well done guys.

[@Epicacactus]

Great daily for most people, with plenty of fun to offer without being robbed by BMW, and simply not a track car. It’s a pretty simple situation, but the folks need things to complain about to distract from their own unhappiness 🤷‍♂️ same as ever

[@xliquidflames]

People who make fun of and bash EVs are making the same silly kinds of arguments that someone would make when they try to tell you iPhone is superior to Android, Ford over Chevy, Intel vs AMD. They're all the same thing. A Pixel phone is the same thing as an iPhone just aimed at a different set of personal preferences and sometimes price bracket. An EV is the same thing as an ICE vehicle just aimed at a different set of personal preferences and price bracket. They're two ways of achieving the same goal. Yes, one runs on gas and one runs on electrons but the only real difference between an EV and an ICE is the cost of ownership which is where the EV comes out ahead: cheaper fuel, much less maintenance, much cheaper insurance, tax incentives, ect. Other than that, it's personal preference and what fits your lifestyle best. One is not fundamentally or objectively better than the other. One is subjectively better than the other depending on your circumstances and personal preferences.

[@sungbaek3526]

​@Epicacactus i think some of those complaints are valid especially when tesla themselves says shatter your lap times etc etc on their website for the m3p. But theres a reason its priced as low as it is. I'm sure if they did give it the full track treatment, the price would be more in line with an ioniq 5n

[@aninass]

I quite like EVs actually. But I refuse to like a car that looks like an upscaled Chinese toy car.

[@DragonKnightX12]

@@xliquidflames Not really. There's a lot of ways that EVs are still objectively worse at than ICE cars. Like as mentioned tracking, and towing with EVs sucks as we've seen multiple times with TFL's testing. Even the cost of ownership isn't as big of a difference as you might think. As Car and driver found out with their long term Model 3 test these more powerful EVs eat through their tires like crazy, and those special tires aren't cheap either. Extreme temperature also greatly effects EVs useability as we saw what happened in Chicago last winter. You basically need to be a homeowner with a garage to store and charge your EV for them to be the most viable. If you like to travel a lot, definitely would think twice about purchasing any EV that can't use the Tesla charging network. Moistly just good replacement for a econobox, other than that if you just wanna beat most unmodded cars in the 1/4 mile EVs are good for that. A hybrid is probably still a much more viable choice for the masses.

[@eb110americana]

While the actual "Performance" on offer outside of a drag strip is disappointing, it's also kind of brilliant in a roundabout way. What I mean is, this might actually be the sport sedan for true gearheads, and we didn't even realize it. Allow me to explain with a counterpoint: Tesla could have priced the car at $75K US with everything perfected for lap times on Throttle House. But there are a couple of problems with that. First, the limit for the $7,500 EV credit cuts out at $55K for cars in the US. How much does the Performance cost? It starts at $54,990. So you've got a cheaper car AND $7,500 back in your pocket to spend on performance parts. And that's the part that should appeal to gearheads: time to go shopping for brakes, wheels/tires, coil overs, and a good set of antiroll bars (maybe some seats too). So you've got a bargain sport sedan that's already a rocket in a straight line. $7,500 back. And a project car that will haul the family too. Funny how that worked out.

[@yohankhan2942]

For some context about the mud flaps - they are a Tesla accessory that’s generic across all the models. There’s actually a small and large flap (you can see in the video that they have a line in between separating them). The large ones always scrape on model 3’s so anyone who buys them is advised to only use the small one. THAT SAID, Tesla doesn’t actually communicate that so when I had a Model 3 years ago I had the same problem. Eventually I removed the extensions and just used the smaller flaps and they were fine.

[@JohnDoe-vh4rt]

Do the mudflaps come standard on the M3P, or was this an option selected by the owner?

[@juelz4516]

It’s not a truck. Therefore it does not need ugly ass mud flaps

[@printertoner]

@@JohnDoe-vh4rt I believe they're standard in Canada, but optional (after purchase) in the US

[@tboy911]

I bought a new Model 3 Performance a few weeks ago in the U.S.. They do not come with mud flaps.

[@gpr22756]

@@printertonerThey may have changed it, but they weren’t standard on my 2023. I assume there’s a rule about the advertised range needing to be with the standard equipment. Regardless, such a weird thing for them to do so poorly. I want to protect the Tesla-thin paint from rocks, and the snow/slush I drive in. The short ones are too small, and the long ones scrape basically all the time. $55 later and you still end up laying on the garage floor with a pair of garden shears.

[@olivierleduc7305]

i did about 4 laps with my STi with stock brakes before they faded to death, did 3 with my model 3 performance .. i dont expect street pads to hold track use specially on a car that would not use brake pads on a daily driving scenario. its a tough place for engeneers to make a pad that can do a full emergency stop while completely cold and then have the same pad do time attack run on the local track. but totally agree, suspension could be upgraded for track.. if this was a track focused car. i would not want that on mine as it works perfectly on the road and more importantly, on the snow!

[@kevinohfficial]

Just picked one up last week and here's what I've noticed so far... First off the price. I got $10,500 off of MSRP with the tax incentives, state incentives, and loyalty/referral program. PLUS in the state that I live in, there was no sales tax either (another $1,000 and change saved). So for the price it was kind of a no brainer. As a previous F80 M3, LC500, Model Y Performance, and random RAM 1500 Limited (with the air suspension) owner, I love this car for my daily use. It has an eerie go-kart like feeling when it comes to the steering, which I first noticed in the Tesla MYP which is nice (I guess...), and I honestly love the drive compared to the M3 and LC500. The power is, well, it is what it is. You can just breathe on the throttle and you'll be 15 mph over the speed limit without realizing it. The suspension is what I'm really enjoying though. Compared to the M3 and LC500 it is without a doubt more comfortable. Big bumps are still big bumps, but even those don't throw my brain around like my Model Y Performance does. Even compared to the RAM 1500, I prefer it. Pick up trucks have a weird way of dealing with bumps at speed, making them feel very uneasy, even with the air suspension. The Model 3 Performance just deals with it so much better and with what feels like confidence. On top of everything, for my 60+ miles of commuting daily, I pay what amounts to be $3-4 of charging at home. In terms of a daily driver, I couldn't be happier with this decision. It's more than comfortable enough for my commute, faster than I'll ever need, and handles well enough to take up to the mountains and drive in a spirited manner. I know Tesla gets a lot of flack for their vehicles, but as someone who's been lucky enough to have experienced the cars he has, I can honestly say they've done a brilliant job with this one. I'm just sorry to my fellow NJ residents that waited and will be losing out on not having to pay sales tax starting in October! Great review as always guys, thanks for the time and effort you put into all of your videos!

[@jimiverson3085]

OTOH, you would spend about the same amount for that commute with a Honda Civic Hybrid. And it is available for about $30K.

[@kevinohfficial]

@@jimiverson3085 I don’t personally know about that cars mileage and cost to run. I just happen to be in a place in my life where I could spend the extra money on a vehicle like this. Plus with my personal experience with Tesla so far, it’s been reliable and I haven’t had any issue yet (luckily)! The new model 3 performance just suits my needs and wants. Then again I miss ICE vehicles too and the sweet sweet noises they make. I might just be getting old though and am fine with just listening to my music or nothing while driving. And my wife definitely prefers it too lol

[@juelz4516]

Nobody cares

[@Specialist7]

I hear ya, I got mine two weeks ago. It's funny how just last month I didn't know a lot about EVs and now I consider myself knowledgeable in both ICE and EVs. For the cost and what it offers with performance and comfort, its hard to beat. The road/wind noise is way lower than my previous car. The stock sound system is really nice and it just feels good, its all techie.. I'm a tech guy, have to have the latest in everything. Sure I miss the engine sounds, loud revs, downshifting, pops and burbles of my previous car but this one just feels fast, planted, and instant speed. Chill mode 6.5s, Standard mode 3.7s, Insane mode 2.9s, 510hp. It is a blast in the highway or doing 0-60s from the light. Sure its not he best "track" car or it didn't do multiple laps at nurburgring but hey you can use a different car for those if you want. Charge at night and you're back to full so it is a really good daily driver. It's hard to please people and its funny how most people will bash on EVs till they drive it and like it. Who cares, drive what you want and have fun with it. I'll still drive and EV and I'll still drive an ICE, people need to stop being so threatened by what they see online. No ones forcing EVs down your throat, it seems like the only people who really care what you drive are those who like to complain. For the price I paid for mine its almost a steal. Maybe I'll upgrade again in 2 years (bad habit) 🤣

[@MD-zb9ev]

@@jimiverson3085 But that car is slow as hell and rides way worse.

[@MonicaRMartino]

End of the day, it definitely is underbraked there Thomas, but just for the sake of questioning... do you think it might have preformed better overall using a higher regen setting? Yes, you add more battery load, but shedding even 30% of the braking gs into the battery instead of the r

[@quakslikeaduck]

Why are all these 'camgirls' tryna act like real people. Get outta here, people don't want your business on youtube.

[@timonxDlol]

The real issue is that they have no regen on the brake pedal but only in one pedal driving mode. Insane how incapable they are

[@blewis42002]

@@timonxDlol Not really the whole story. When you're off the accelerator, you're using regen. It doesn't take a couple seconds to set in. Using the brake pedal is for the mechanical braking system, but there *still is* regen unless they disabled it in track mode.

[@timonxDlol]

@@blewis42002 and that is the whole issue. If you want to coast when neither using the accelerator nor the brake pedal then there is no regen at tesla. And other manufacturers got it done to integrate regeneration on tje brake pedal. So it seemlessly goes from regen braking to disk braking but all on the pedal. And if you push no pedal nothing happens

[@kunalmishra9463]

@@timonxDlol There is one slight tradeoff to this -- if you've ever tried braking in a Prius or something, the first portion being regen and then transitioning into mechanical braking, it feels really inconsistent and unpredictable. It does feel like a no brainer software addition for the regen = low setting on Teslas, but I at least can understand someone having a thesis that that is unsafe/a poor experience, because it kind of is, even though that removes one very reasonable and logical choice from our stable of options.

[@15725867905]

Had a 2020 performance, now have a 24 performance. It’s marginally better at everything it was alright at. The redesign is fine. The only thing that is notably worse are the tires. It used to come on Michelin 4S, but now it has Pirelli’s which have no stick and are overstretched. Having said that, it’s a commuter and that’s about it. My 95 Miata is for fun :)

[@johndoerr9289]

hello fellow M3P and Miata owner 😎

[@pyramo3170]

How's the ride? I thought that my 2020 M3P was a bit busy and crashy while I had it. For a "performance" that's a bit expected so I'm curious if it's improved.

[@caboose6411]

Oh lord, Pirellis are complete junk. I have no clue why they come on any car. They have very little road feel

[@LedosGarage]

Couldn't you just change the tires and fix that problem?

[@johnjohn3241]

Ehh. I don’t find the Miata that fun to drive. Only thing it has going for it is a manual.

[@LearningFast]

Ironically the US version of this car does extremely well at the Dragstrip. They really designed this car to excel at straight line performance and not for cornering. The 5N is definitely the better car for road courses. However, the US version runs 10s in 1/4 mile as long as you use Insane Mode and heat the battery. That is where it excels the most.

[@mikeely9732]

Agreed and when you consider the price for performance it’s about the best value there is.

[@piksnapper]

The N is the better car for extended track time but for one lap the 3 is quicker based on TH track times.

[@G82Watts]

​@@piksnapperhow is the model 3 quicker. The 5N is literally above it on their leaderboards. Lmfao.

[@Keestral]

@@piksnapper I don't think this is comparable to the N though. Even though the Ioniq 5 masquerades as a hot hatch from a distance, it's really a super SUV. Remember that that thing has the same foot print as a Palissade/Telluride, which makes how good it is that much more impressive.

[@jpizel1070]

For about 20k more it has to be twice as good otherwise what is the point of picking it over the M3P right? I mean it's priced like a Model S.

[@ClarenceSearles]

So basically, Tesla is not as good as Hyundai and adding performance that works well. On the plus side, look how far Hyundai has come. Maybe Tesla we'll learn in the future.

[@grahamstefaan]

@ClarenceSearles its 23k cheaper and has a NACS port, far more range, and drives itself.

[@qjz123]

@@grahamstefaanlol

[@stephen0406]

But Hyundai is anti-consumer, go check out the news with them requesting 50k for a battery warranty they refused to honor for a 60k car in Canada.

[@ClarenceSearles]

@stephen0406 ever looked at trying to repair a tesla 🤣 . Lol check out Rich Rebuilds for all the "fun" in a state with a right to repair law just trying to get parts in general. We won't even get into the supercharger blacklisting 🤣. Manufacturers are out of hand !

[@Pronoob1218]

That's like comparing honda odysey to a corvette. The odyssey has more space, uses less fuel and is more comfortable for road trips. Is it better than the corvette? No. So, Tesla shouldn't market a car for what it isn't. I5N is a track ready EV, the Tesla m3P isn't meant for track use, despite upgrades and flashy words and modes. End of discussion. @grahamstefaan

[@Luminor513]

Tesla catered to the masses here. A (relatively) inexpensive car that can run 10’s and be a great stoplight warrior. Clearly it’s not a track weapon or designed for hot laps but that wasn’t the intention from Tesla. This car can be had for 47-48k in the US w incentives, that’s virtually half the price of a nicely spec’d M3 comp.

[@angrycar]

I bought my 2020 Supra for 48k during the pandemic. It will run 10's, is a track weapon, is designed for hot laps, and sounds good while doing it.

[@uptoolayte1]

​@@angrycarit doesn't run 10s stock and 48k was not msrp. These aren't really competitors either.

[@angrycar]

@@uptoolayte1 Correct it doesn't run 10's stock but for 3-4k in mods it will run 10's. It's about 12 stock on asphalt streets. My car was priced at 54k, Toyota had 3k off and the dealer had 3k off, so I got it for 48k, the 3.0 premium with every tech package that was available. My point is there are cars out there in the same price range that are simply better cars than the model 3. If the model 3 was in the 30k range, then you might have bang for the buck, but at 50k there are just better choices out there, and maybe those choices aren't as fast in a straight line but there is more to a good car than 0-60 or 1/4 mile times.

[@Luminor513]

And how many car seats, friends, or family can fit in the back seat of a supra? You’re missing the point completely.

[@angrycar]

@@Luminor513 No, I got your point, it's a soccer mom sedan that is fast in a straight line. It's been done. But IMHO, no family sedan needs to be fast, getting your kids to school 2 minutes faster isn't needed. I think I didn't make my point clear, when I said there are better choices, I meant there are better choices than EV's. What's the point of an EV, a petrol car beats it in almost every category important to consumers. Is it to save the world, hardly, since we now know the vast majority of the rare earth minerals that batteries need come from Chinese mines in the Congo who use child slave labor and we know the carbon footprint to make an EV is so large the EV has to drive 50,000 just to offset that. It is for convenience, not even close. Is it for quality, nope, out of the 33 top car manufactures in the world Tesla has never been above number 30 in initial quality. Is it for safety, no again, EV's typically have greater breaking distances due to the weight and when in accidents tend to cause more injury and damage due to the extra weight. They cost more to buy and maintain as well. So, what's the point of an EV, it's an inferior product. If we stop talking about them, they will eventually fade into obscurity, as they should.

[@auslacroix]

The only time I saw a Model 3 at the track was at Sonoma Raceway and it was put into the wall at T11. :/

[@armandosantos8695]

Saw a BMW X4 M at the track once, nothing happened, but people really buy into the marketing of "Performance" variants

[@wolfbane047]

"and I'm Jaaaaaaaaaaames!!" 😂😂😂🙌🏽🔥

[@jonboy602]

Funny that youtube has put 'translate to english' under your comment!

[@ericdarmawan9504]

james is mineeee

[@deionshepherd1331]

Just a note apparently Tesla estimates the brake temperature by how much the brake pedal is pressed. Not sure how this differs from normal practices. I assume other manufacturers actually read the temp as is

[@andrewdekoning]

No production car (in quantity) that I'm aware of has temp sensors for brakes. They are all using some sort of algorithm trying to estimate the temps - and being conservative. As soon as you change any part of the system the algorithm is wrong. Tesla's track mode allows you to turn the algo off which is what every owner should do and instead learn how to gauge them based on feel. Mountain Pass Performance put temp sensors on our Plaid along with oversize rotors, a Motec, arms to introduce adjustability etc. With good track pads and 2 piece rotors the brakes will outlast the power. They also have upgrades for the Model 3 to make it do the same. James and Thomas are correct in one way - the car is not made to run 10/10ths on a track, but that was never the goal. They get the normal buyer (95%+ of them) a great experience. The other 5% can do the changes necessary to go track it. Doing arms, tires, brakes and a small rear wing completely transforms the feel of the car for track use!

[@deionshepherd1331]

@@andrewdekoning are you sure thats correct? A quick Google search says both bmw and Mercedes put brake temperature sensors on their cars. I would assume other companies do the same for their PERFORMANCE vehicles

[@andrewdekoning]

​@@deionshepherd1331Yes - pretty sure, but would love to see evidence to the contrary. German cars often have wear sensors but those don't track temps. I drove an AMG on track that had BBW once and even that didn't have any temp sensors, just an algo behind the scenes (conservatively) estimating when the brakes were overheated (they weren't.) Curious what you searched for?

[@JerryPena]

I didn't know this version would fall apart like this, especially when Tesla had so much time to refine this model.

[@buttistedsuidice3296]

Easy explanation. They were working on their first new model in a decade: the Cybertruck 👍

[@TheGamingNorwegian]

@@buttistedsuidice3296 And they failed even worse with that... Heck it doesnt even support BASIC "autopilot".

[@RIVvideos]

yeah good point

[@slin4013]

It’s a fantastic road and commuter car. Not a track focused car

[@Ethan-ee4zn]

@@slin4013that’s fine but for the performance one it seems deceptive

[@furryrug5998]

I worked with Tesla as a sub-contractor and it was a shocking eye-opening time! Trust me, customer service & more importantly QC are far from their priorities.

[@daegueric]

No, you didn't.

[@fayenotfaye]

issue is it depends by region heavily, here in australia where we get chinese made ones, the build quality is quite good

[@Lost_In_LA]

I’d grade on a curve. I think enthusiasts should taking the M3P to the track will replace the tires and the brakes if not more. Out the door, it is an amazing and fun commuter car.

[@adjust.clinic]

Totally agree. This car is a great package.

[@WhatsADSM]

Yea to be honest this is the truth. I have tracked cars for almost 20 years now. And I rarely, if ever, see someone running stock pads and fluid. That's the first thing people change as it's a huge benefit on just about any car and costs very little. Then most people upgrade the tires next. The bigger issue that TH didn't even notice though is that the M3P overheats the battery in under 5 minutes... And unfortunately there are no real fixes for that. The ioniq 5N is a MUCH better ev when it comes to being legitimately track capable.

[@esteban1973]

Thanks for the honest review. These are the criticisms Elon himself should be making. How can the performance version not have improved brakes and springs? I think it's just lazy engineering. Not everything can be "fixed" with a software update.

[@otm646]

Because they understand the market. First of all, this is just a turned up version of the base car. This is not an RS/GT3 style car, it was never marketed as such. It's high performance daily driver that also does well through the canyons and blows away just about everything else on the interstate.

[@livelongandtroll9108]

​@@otm646 So, in your world, Tesla gave it a track mode and said in the press release that it allows the driver to "explore the performance envelope in various track environments," also said it comes with "track-ready brake pads" but we should never see it this marketing statements as anything other than a tuned up daily driver. K

[@paulvail7926]

My opinion is that the vast majority of buyers just want the added performance of this version, and aren't taking it to the track at all. I do think they should make a 'track edition' which really does hit the needs of those who want to take it to the track with real time brake temperature monitoring, and a braking system which can handle the weight of the car. But since I'm not a track guy, I wouldn't want to pay thousands more when I'm just looking to get on the freeway quicker and have a bit of fun on the back roads when I'm just casually driving about.

[@manchuriancandidatethe3rd101]

Let's be real, they only focus on reviewing it as a track car instead of reviewing the car as a whole because you can find criticisms there and you get more way more views talking negative about Tesla to petrol heads than otherwise. It also downplays how much it cost and spin it into "oh it's incomplete as a full on track, that's why it's cheap" Really? consider the price and what you get standard in the car plus the 2.9 sec performance, there is really no car out there that can beat it dollar for value. Sure, people who bought the performance model might go to the track, but casuals really probably only go maybe a few times in their entire ownership, and the true enthusiasts that go often will modify their car. If you add some aftermarket brakes/kits, and even suspension upgrades from unplugged performance, the car would still cost $20k less than an M3. even $40k if it's M3 CS. If people were to be fair and not be biased against their feelings towards Tesla/Elon Musk, the M3P really renders the BMW M3 obsolete as an everyday sports sedan. Just ask Jason Cammisa

[@jiggerkandola9400]

@@manchuriancandidatethe3rd101that is a crazy take. I have both a model 3 performance and 2024 m4 and the m4 blows it away in every single department including acceleration which it does in 2.8 seconds. You are talking about the price but fail to understand how superior the rest of the car is like the suspension and brakes. The model 3 is great for my commute though.

[@revolting887]

I will admit I waited out the last 12 seconds of black screen in this video for an off color yet hilarious comment from James 😂

[@PizzaManSteeve]

I did too

[@Maiele51AUND]

Ok before I finish watching this, I hereby declare this the greatest "...And I'm James" moment ever. You guys really rock.

[@davejohnson6144]

Honestly I would never track my 2024 Model 3 Performance so could care less about this type of testing but I can tell you as a owner of this car, it’s absolutely a blast to drive and so much better than my 2019 M3P ever was! I don’t think 75% owners of these cars will ever take their cars to a track

[@ji3g4j6jo3p]

That closing was so well written I love it. 19:29 that lock sound and 19:46 the "for those who do want to play your rearend somewhere safe, hehe" 💀💀💀 I'm dead

[@thomasholdsworth2422]

Literally, the only people that could get me to watch and also enjoy an electric car video. Outstanding work as always, guys 🤝🏼

[@anthonyschroeder521]

End of the day, it definitely is underbraked there Thomas, but just for the sake of questioning... do you think it might have preformed better overall using a higher regen setting? Yes, you add more battery load, but shedding even 30% of the braking gs into the battery instead of the rotors might have been a big benefit to this particular track. [Completely armchair, no stanning involved]

[@wendystacos7447]

@@anthonyschroeder521 this is a really good point, actually

[@jezza6575]

Regen would overheat the battery sooner

[@hardywoodaway9912]

normal brakepads on model 3 are very soft because you brake only in case of emergency, for track Tesla always offered different brakepads and tires

[@G82Watts]

What's with tesla people always justifying reasons why their car sucks. Tesla cult fan base gotta be the most delusional 🤓 ever. This car is a mess.

[@louisolivierfortin]

@@jezza6575well not after three turns, probably a lap, but at least he could have done a full lap

[@Marc.Google]

Love me a nice early morning TH drop! 👌🏼

[@GabeStrom82]

As a daily driver, I love the Model 3 Performance. Well balanced, quick, hides its weight well. Brakes, I can go entire drives on 100% regen. Acceleration is better than a Hellcat on street tires. New cooled seats amazing. A few rattles from dash and armrest. Softer paint and body panel gaps not great. Fast infotainment and FSD with monthly software updates. It’s a great platform that makes me want to take the long route home.

[@giff74]

I really appreciate that you guys can have fun and still be critical about the cars you review Keep up the awesome work!

[@hassanlahlou7805]

I own a Tesla, I am not a fan, it's a good uber Car and sometimes good to just take off on highway, not interested to watch EV reviews, BUT here I am watching Thomas and James just to watch Thomas&James. now that is success on KZbin, the Host become more important or so than the actual content. excuse my english I am Moroccan

[@eightssix]

Been owning the M3P for 3 months now and I smile every time I get to drive my car.. it’s the closest thing to an electric go-kart (Segway models) that I’ve ever driven. The smile I see on James’ face when he pushes the car.. I understand it. It’s genuine and it is how I probably look when I drive my car. Great review!

[@1HeatWalk]

4000 pounds is a VERY heavy go kart. More like a golf cart.

[@BigKittysCorner]

I lost it with the lock sounds at the end XD

[@TheCarGuru]

Best car view channel, ever. The Canadian version of BBC's Top Gear!

[@nickcres]

Thomas has gone full Canadian in his lumberjack shirt and "FALLING THE HECK APART"

[@JMW10o0o]

2:23 I switched back to this tab to skip the Manscaped commercial and was extremely confused.😂

[@nycLPplayer]

Really slick/fast Dodge Intrepid from the 90s. Just looking at those brakes its obvious they won't be up to snuff.

[@jeffreyxing7177]

80% of people buying this car would never touch a track anyways lol. I live in SoCal and I see up to 10 perfs a day and they seem to be mainly good at cutting through traffic

[@scenario7gaming202]

I bought one and that's basically what I use it for

[@somealias-zs1bw]

Which, to be fair, is precisely the use case of a car like that. Nobody in their right mind should buy an EV if they mean to utilize it in scenarios requiring endurance, let alone on the track.

[@cupid3890]

top tier douchbag car

[@chimpo131]

Tesla holes everywhere on the 110

[@jeffreyxing7177]

@@somealias-zs1bw It would be cool to see some EV concept track cars go into production soon though, like the Hyundai N vision 74, but currently no EV has sustainable performance on a track

[@adamwilson2203]

I loved James's comment at 18:30 about we've gone from over engineered cars to under engineered and make it as fast as possible. TRUTH

[@XenoKaizen]

"Did you just not have the will power!?" LMAO, i love James

[@RIVvideos]

510Hp, 0.-60

[@G82Watts]

@@RIVvideos yup and u would be too poor to be able to afford it then 😂 keep praising elon for being able to finally afford a quick car so u finally feel validated. ♥

[@RIVvideos]

@@G82Watts your goofy ass obviously knows about my financial situation

[@stef7396]

@@G82Watts dont call people poor when they prob have more then you lil bro, just saying. also spending more then 60k on a car is a crazy waste of money

[@G82Watts]

@@stef7396 if ur sports car is a tesla u are broke.

[@RochScoot507]

Basically it is exposed for being what it is when you drive it at 10/10th’s. It’s a daily driver commuter car that happens to take advantage of electric motors to go stupid fast in a straight line. It’s useless for anything related to “performance”

[@uptoolayte1]

It's disappointing at 10/10, therefore it's useless at performance? I'll probably never drive 10/10, but I'm thrilled at 8/10 like they were. I guess I'll just enjoy this car doing 8/10 better than any other car in the 47k price range, which is far from "useless".

[@RochScoot507]

@@uptoolayte1 if you are making a “performance based car” that sucks at performing like I dunno not even being able to complete a lap of a small test track then yea it fails that aspect. Not saying it’s not fun at 8/10ths. But you don’t take a performance car to the track to drive it at 8/10ths do ya. You got there to push your limits and the cars limits.

[@uptoolayte1]

@@RochScoot507 I don't buy it for the track, like most people buying it don't. Just because it's performance based doesn't mean it's track worthy. Why set that expectation when it hasn't been promised or really expected by other brands? There are way more "performance" oriented cars that can't track than those that are track worthy. Just another excuse to crap on EVs I guess. Enjoy.

[@RochScoot507]

@@uptoolayte1 I crap on EVs because the are garbage. If you want a daily commuter car fine it’s amazing for that. But the expectation is set when you put the word “performance” in your car. People do track these. It has a TRACK mode ffs. If you’re going to attempt to make a car you can take to the track, it needs to be held to that standard. But yea sure just lower the standards for your milk toast empty appliance so it doesn’t need to be held accountable when it fails to do what it advertised. Even if it isn’t the “main purpose”. I don’t hate EVs. I hate Tesla and their lazy manufacturing.

[@uptoolayte1]

@@RochScoot507 I'll gladly lower my standards if it means being less miserable than you and blissfully ignorant to your expectation that cars with track modes must be track worthy or else the entire car is trash. Also, there are plenty of cars with track mode that aren't as good as expected on track: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYOXZp-wac-NeK8

[@davids1816]

I wonder if the traction control is using the brakes and that's causing them to overheat. Is that something the software lets you get rid of?

[@volvo09]

I certainly dosen't help... Kind of weird how other evs can do at least one lap of the Nurburgring, but teslas tend to overheat the brakes by 1/3 a lap, and overheat the battery by 2/3 a lap. Only the plaid with the ceramic brakes can do a full lap without the brakes killing themselves...it still goes into reduced power, but i feel its acceptable for how much power it puts down.

[@rasmusboxberg]

In EVs you very rarely find traction control using brakes since the motor output can be changed many times per second, lowering power if too much slip is detected. Using the brakes would be very inefficient.

[@wendystacos7447]

The reason for the overheating is they didn’t use track mode with full regen braking. Thomas cooked the brakes because they’re not great but also wasn’t getting the help from regen that track mode is designed for. I have done several hard laps without cooking the brakes because I take advantage of full regen to save the brakes as much as possible.

[@davids1816]

@@wendystacos7447 Sounds solid - Tesla not having official media people probably makes stuff like an oversight with the braking more likely. I'm sure track fans swap breaks and put more serious shocks and springs under the car. There has intermittently been a track package for the M3P as well. I have a 2021 M3P and as a road car the only thing I've ever wished for was more grip. It handles benignly but is so quick that being able to carry more speed into a corner would improve the car from a performance perspective. But Telsa is so clever at balancing range, efficiency, weight, and performance... I find it hard to criticize loudly. But I don't drive on a track.

[@wendystacos7447]

@@davids1816 absolutely - IMO it’s the ultimately daily driver. Comfortable, handles well, efficient, quicker than 99% of vehicles on the road. The fact that this car (not even the full power USA version) ends up on this list with cars twice the cost is ridiculously good. The reality is, they were way over expecting on track performance from a $47k car. It punches above its weight class is really cool, but they have to remember what this really is

[@laserbeam1620]

You guys are the only ones who could get me to watch a Model 3 video. Well done

[@PaulYoung-t2l]

If you are going to take the car to a track day, I would think you would put better tires and upgrade to firmer springs. I mean what road-going sedan feels good at 10/10ths? My E36 BMW 325 feels great at 7/10's but at 10/10's it is not that great on the factory tires and springs.

[@GhostRyderFPV]

See Thomas walk. See Thomas fall over. See Thomas spin out. See Thomas _stomp the skinny pedal to the floor like it owes him money._

[@zl1cruz]

someone at my job just got one of these and it’s actually insane lmal

[@shamma1977]

James’s demonstration of the custom lock sound in the end is why I smashed the Like button! 😂

[@kevtheobald]

Just a suggestion for the TH crew, contact UP and see if the Unplugged Performance team can solve what you guys believe is missing from the Model 3 Performance. It is a great chance for UP to show what they can do and it would help answer the questioning suggestion given in this video about just spend more to achieve a true track performance level Model 3. It might be like the Fox platform Ford Mustangs of the 1980s. Saleen gave those a massive upgrade.

[@gabem8119]

TH can call on MountainPass Performance, a Canadian Co., that mods and races model 3’s.

[@stevestogsdill5791]

I'm just impressed with Thomas's Mr. Miyagi/Master Shifu-like reflexes snagging that mosquito and never losing focus.

[@amritacharya567]

These two just talking about the car, completely unscripted is just the most insightful passionate conversation.

[@Pabla98]

The biggest plus about the model 3 performance is its price. For 75k CAD you simply cannot disagree that you get a lot of bang for your buck. It’s definitely not a track car, more or so a street car but 99.9% of Model 3 owners are not tracking their cars.

[@bornaoghabian247]

So the car is really good after upgrading the brakes? and maybe suspension?

[@alinoer.6569]

Really good production, the hot lap sequence really communicated the intensity of how the car felt during it! Good job guys

[@thedownwardmachine]

Like most cars, even most performance cars, this car needs upgrades if you're gonna track it at 10/10ths, period. I can't think of a car I've owned where I'd expect to do serious track work without at least upgrading the brakes. Consider that unsprung rotating mass is a huge efficiency killer, and that very people will ever track these, and you see how the decision was made.

[@JehanKateli]

I disagree with the notion that Tesla should have upped the price to give it better brakes etc. The vast majority of people who buy this will not take it to the track. The current pricing and performance is perfect for a road car.

[@thebarkingmouse]

Had mine for about 3 months. Handles very, very well. Goes very quick. But the brakes aren't up to it. Managed to fade them to the point of near uselessness within a minute coming down Brasstown Bald. But given this is my daily driver, and not a track car, I'm VERY pleased with the car. I raced as a younger man, and I don't want my daily to beat me to death. If I were going to track it, I would upgrade the brakes, brake lines, brake fluid, pads, work out some kind of cooling ducts to the rotors, increase spring rates, go with forged 18 inch wheels (well, already did that), square setup.

[@thoos192]

If you don´t want your daily to beat you to death, I hope you have fire proofed your house, do not use FSD what so ever and don´t use the car on the winter when you can get stuck and drain your battery because of the cold. Your car basically becomes a frozen casket. Also, with the Tesla quality I would be worried that my wheels come flying off if going for some inspired driving

[@thebarkingmouse]

@thoos192 yeah, more bs from the ignorant. Keep copy pasting things you know nothing about.

[@wensiangfong]

Just ignore this loser. Tesla best car for the price.

[@bradleysmith855]

​@@thoos192 you're just parroting things you've heard on the internet. EVs catch on fire less PER CAPITA compared to ICE vehicles. Range is impacted in winter, yes, but not that much. If you trap an ice car in snow, you get carbon monoxide poisoning if you keep the engine running, so not a great point you're making. Tesla's don't have wheels flying off, lmao. Don't drive your Toyota over 80mph or it explodes and they won't warranty it.

[@Chris-cu2mc]

​@thoos192 big oil and MSM lies clearly worked on you....

[@yeahbuddy92193911]

For 99% of owners who don't go to the track, it's the perfect road car where the breaks will never once overheat. But will still destroy Lambos and BMWs at the traffic light.

[@pushdaenvelope]

think it depends on geographic location and use case. Where I live lots of high elevation canyon carving/mountain backroads 5 minutes from my garage that I drive all the time where the big elevation changes will expose cars that have inferior brakes and suspension when you are charging hard. For daily driving in the city, lots of straight line roads, traffic light pulls I totally get it

[@yeahbuddy92193911]

@@pushdaenvelope I've seen KZbin vids of the new 3 performance canyon carving, keeping up with a highly modified Supra, and doing great, no problems whatsoever.

[@jiggerkandola9400]

Not true. My 2024 m4 xdrive does 0-60 in 2.8 seconds so it’s def not beating me. It won’t beat an m3, m5 and m8 either.

[@pushdaenvelope]

@@jiggerkandola9400 the G8x with the S58 in xdrive are monsters stock off the line and add a tune and they are just mental. My old hybrid turbo Golf R on E85 was faster off the line (both 0-60 and 1/4) than M3Ps. My manual M2 comp is definitely slower straight line than any of them but WAY more fun where my fun cars spend 80% of their time like this playing with a G80 M3 in the local canyons---> kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqLYZ4V7fZ2qh80si=RCu0id_ZoQ2j11h6

[@travis-geis]

Love how you let the sound through in a quiet moment here 10:47

[@ItsNotThatTom]

Unexpected Letterkenny. I appreciate the loyalty to Canada.

[@itsexiledlmao]

what a good video to wake up to

[@random12345457]

People seem to expect too much from Tesla. Any other brand car giving the same amount of car for the money would be loved by everyone

[@gti189]

Yes, 100% when you’re already the A+ student people only have bad things to say. Because you can never do better.

[@infidel900rr]

An 8/10ths car that’s a bit fun and will slide is all I want in life anyways.

[@wendystacos7447]

Not sure how Thomas doesn’t get that. Especially under $50k.

[@chisss]

Thomas’ face when James is driving always gets me. He’s so tense and scared 😂

[@daviddrinkwater3262]

Had to replace stock brake pads on my M2 competition after one track day as they disintegrated. Common that these brands put labels like performance or competition or RS on these cars and the reality is they still need upgrades to track on the reg if you’re serious.

[@mduduzibhebhe4268]

Hey, weh is the helmet ding? Please bring it back

[@aerienix]

Track Test - Ding isn’t in this intro.

[@Smith-h6h]

Never fails to amaze me how critics hate to praise Tesla products. I mean they both realize there is a setting for understeer or oversteer on the fly which no other car in history has ever had and the reaction is "it's kinda cool...". Oh well,

[@MasterBlaster69]

Lets be real, nobody is getting a Model 3 as a track toy.

[@chriswilbur212]

People do actually and get the brand snob badge free with every car like it's the best car ever made, they're not even close to the best EV brand at best

[@alexjeffs7092]

If they do they are upgrading brakes suspension and tires straight away

[@MidnightSoulDevourer]

⁠@@alexjeffs7092just curious…… what car in this price range you’re not upgrading brakes, suspension, and tires? Asking for a friend.

[@NomenClature-o8s]

@@MidnightSoulDevourerYou won’t get an answer. Chris has no idea what he’s talking about.

[@user-yq6ov6ow7l]

Lots of people do. M3p is a really popular track car.

[@roanelytle6393]

Tesla has a Track Package for the older Model 3 Performance. It has different wheels, Cup2s, and performance brake pads for US$ 5,500. They also have one for the Model S Plaid for 20K with carbon ceramic brakes, etc. I would expect something between these two eventually for the Performance.

[@damiengambill7304]

Going to have to stick with my paid off 2018 Model 3 Performance with full coilover suspension, lowered and beefy sway bars and upgraded brakes. Handles like it's on rails, minimal body lean and stops like a champ!

[@Wingman77tws]

I completely disagree with these guys, what they’re missing is that this is still a mass market multifunctional vehicle. That just happens to be pretty quick and performance oriented as well. It’s not a track car and it’s not supposed to be. Tesla actually in the older performance cars made a much more stiff suspension, but everyone complained about that so now they’ve done things to soften it up. I just bought a new performance three, and I absolutely love it.

[@ryan3859]

The pricing they list for the US only works with a grey car with black interior. The other colors don’t qualify for the tax credit.

[@volvo09]

Are the other colors more expensive, pushing it over the price threshold?

[@uptoolayte1]

White interior is free, so you can get grey car with white interior and still qualify.

[@uptoolayte1]

@@volvo09 Correct, every other color is at least 1k.

[@MrBTRDAYZ]

I just bought a 2024 Model 3 Long Range RWD. Fed rebates plus New Jersey rebates and incentives makes the vehicle very attractive. I struggled with the decision whether to coin up for the M3P, which I actually think is a great car for the money and what it brings. Especially with rebates!!! The fact is though, that I think of the M3P as a performance car the same way I did 70's and 80's muscle cars. Straight line drag strip cars. Not sports cars. It's a leap, but I think the best bet is sticking with the regular RWD or AWD Model 3s as fun commuter cars, and look up to things like the Corvette C8 or the Audi RS3 as affordable performance vehicles for about $12,000 more. I'd also like to get my seat time in an Ioniq 5N and see what that feels like. For you young guys headed to college, we need some chemistry majors that will devise the right concoction for batteries to reduce how many we need for acceptable range. Then maybe we can shed 500 - 1,000 pounds off these EVs. The car guys know what to do. We need scientists now! 😂

[@Frikkietube]

There is a lot of Australian reviews that canceled their reviews of the new Tesla 3 because it is just not a good car and the breaks are dangerous and they scared if they review this car and someone kills them selves because of how dangerous the new Tesla 3 is that they will be blamed for it and they don't want that on their conscious. Good on those Aussie reviewer's.

[@uptoolayte1]

Other than brakes in a track setting, how else are the cars dangerous? You can review a car without tracking it.

[@closg9309]

Test drove one recently, for the STREET it’s a beast for 50k. No better performance for the money in the street. Don’t knock it till You try it

[@laakeadrumright3010]

Holy shit the microwave dinner analogy was GOLD

[@Dfevo]

Fantastic review but I don’t think this car was ever really designed for the track… it has track mode but I think that’s just a way to make the car more versatile than a typical road car with some track capability but reality is most people will daily this car. I see it as a good balance between being daily drivable and able to be put on a track at high speeds

[@phantomphotography7392]

What is going to help the M3P is the solid state battery because it will be 40% lighter than the current battery. The weight of the current battery is preventing the M3P from being a viable track car.

[@ShadowBend]

Pretty sad when the brakes are such a weak point. Something with that much power needs quality brakes.

[@dave882]

Are those the first Tesla seats which actually look comfortable?

[@se6836]

says the guy who never been in a tesla

[@jiggerkandola9400]

@@se6836let’s be honest the seats aren’t touching real leather seats from Germans

[@sauce8277]

Beats every car in it's price bracket for Performance/Value. In other words, it's breaking/suspension is better because the other's are more expensive. I think the argument comes down to whether you are right about the definition of "performance" in the important context and history of the word for the industry.

[@Scnottaken]

The thing that sucks so much is the US spec is SO much better. This Euro spec redesigned 3 is basically no faster on the top end, which is where the other one really fell off! I hope we can see a US version tracked soon.

[@magnesium_subsoil_94]

I’ve driven this model. The difference between 8/10 and 10/10 is not something the overwhelming majority of people are going to notice. It feels like a different car compared to the older model 3

[@luk2480]

So Ionic 5N better?

[@mcsike7264]

I mean its more expensive so it better be 😂

[@sungbaek3526]

I actually appreciate that they didn't compare the 2.

[@m1l3s27]

​@@mcsike7264It's an entire different size category and vehicle type, of course it's more money.

[@chewthegum]

For track yes. The battery overheats quickly on the Model 3 and you can't modify the cooling system.

[@boogiedownkid5465]

I think that the 6N will be the more comparable car when it is released. And so don’t think there’s any doubt that it will be a better track car than M3P, albeit more expensive.

[@American_Energy]

Two things can be true at the same time. First, this needs way better brakes. Second, this is the best sports car you can buy for $50k, and it’s isn’t even close.

[@andrewdekoning]

James and Thomas are correct in one way - the car is not made to run 10/10ths on a track, but that was never the goal nor should it be from a product perspective in Tesla's model. They run very limited options/configurations to get the cost down and get the normal buyer (95%+ of them) a great experience. The other

[@IssaqAl-Ahmed]

Was in one of these just the other day and I 100% agree with everything said. Body was basically dragging on every corner, the pogoing was genuinely insane, and the brakes were nowhere near up to the task. The car should just cost more and actually be equipped for the power it has.

[@PsychicOracle]

So if this were the "electric Integra Type-S" it would be an embarrassing shortcoming of engineering, design and testing. But it's fast 0 to 60. Sounds about right

[@memememine1]

Personally I feel like the opposite would happen. If it was a honda people would probably excuse it's overheating and praise its intelligent design. It's totally fine for a Type R to need cooling upgrades to not heat soak on track. It's totally fine for a GR-Four equipped car to oveheat it's rear differential and turn back into fwd on track. It's common knowledge that taking an m340i to the track will very quickly overheat it's brake if you go with stock pads and fluid. But ofc it's absolutely ridiculous for this model 3 to need upgrade brake pads and fluid to go on track.

[@gregp.7148]

Sooo, for 98% of buyers this will be the perfect performance EV for less than the least expensive BMW M car (ie 2 series). And no harmful exhaust fumes…

[@ApothecaryTerry]

More than 2% of people who like fast driving, would like to do that fast driving somewhere other than a set of traffic lights, i.e. corners. For that, you need brakes and suspension, making this not the perfect performance EV. But yes, for anyone who isn't interested in corners and just wants their commuter car to scare a few people off the lights (which is a significant number of people), this is the perfect performance EV.

[@zoltrix7779]

Yeah, and if you drive on a track, even a BMW M car doesn't make a lot of sense, you can just get a balls to ball dedicated track car with a cage, slick tyres etc and a Model 3 for the road.

[@ApothecaryTerry]

@@zoltrix7779 Having a track car isn't really the issue here though - it's that the M3P is sold as a "performance" car. Should a car with that badge not being able to go round corners at speed without scraping bits off itself, while doing so more than 3 times before throwing a brake warning? Most "performance" cars are designed for road driving, with perhaps an annual track day or something. Being able to do that is a reasonable expectation, even if most owners may not really do it. Alternatively, should they name the car "Model 3 Straight Line Performance" instead? Since it lacks what it needs for any other areas of performance...but is still annoyingly close and has things like good steering, which makes it frustratingly close to being a great car. I find it annoying, I'm rooting for it and it's so close...yet here we are.

[@zoltrix7779]

@@ApothecaryTerry I agree to an extent, but you know, the price is so cheap. Its a bit of a lazy engineering excerise for sure. A giant set of brakes really don't cost that much, along with tuning better damping. But I STILL think its fine for 90% of buyers. The LR is even better value as it doesn't pretend to be anything.

[@ApothecaryTerry]

@@zoltrix7779 If the performance is just driven like a higher spec LR, then it's just a HUD and an indicator stalk away from being possibly the best "regular" road car out there, they did so much right. That "performance" thing is an issue though - sure track use is a niche use case, but I live within a few miles of Ben Collins so you can see my local roads on a few videos with him in and...well, 3 corners before brake warnings isn't even slightly viable. Sure it's cheap, but if a car literally can't do the thing it's advertised to be good at, it can be free and that'd still be unacceptable. I just can't get over how close to brilliant this car is, which is why it's such a big deal that they missed easy things to solve. Incidentally, my car has the opposite issue - I drive a 308 GTi, which is cheaper and only moderately fast (power/weight better than a Mk8.5 Golf R though...), yet Pug gave it an LSD and a set of 380mm brakes that cost literally twice as much as the ones I had on my Porsche, or 50% more than the ones on the 992 C2S I drove earlier today! Stick a set of those on the M3P and it'd be a beast, along with not having the stupid overheating sensor linked to pedal pressure (which is just obviously wrong).

[@djayjp]

A longer lens/more zoom for the rear seat cam while racing would be great! 👍

[@ganeshdore]

Agree 100 percent ......even for street driving I need to know who is on my tail.

[@Seanh_lee]

I have the long range all wheel drive and it truly is the sweet spot. Faster than most cars on the road, commuter friendly, fantastic with range. Good job Tesla.

[@JonNewell]

It’s better than the old days when a performance car mean’t they changed the badge and put a stripe down the side, kaching! This is a good honest review, I have one of these cars myself in Australia. The brake temp is emulated not actual. On track, I still have brakes when they indicate overheated so it’s like any other car in that you can feel when the brakes start to fade, and that does happen after a few hard laps (depending on the track) I had this on my previous car, an i30N, manageable by braking a little earlier rather than slamming them at the bleeding edge. Most stock “performance” cars need brake upgrades for true competition performance, even ridiculously expensive cars. These guys are really hammering the cars too, if you drive more smoothly (not slowly) they perform much better. As a stock road car with track performance capability, and for the price, the Tesla M3P is okay. Hyundai on the other hand with the Ioniq 5N (which is 30K more in Australia) have really got that car much better sorted for on track driving with regard to brakes and battery management. The truth is that the vast majority of performance car owners, NEVER track their cars and therefore never experience any of the performance issues you get once you go on track. Drive it to what it can do, and have some fun for a few laps and drive home again, save 30K over an Ioniq 5N.

[@David-he6uj]

So, if you're going to track it - take it to Unplugged Performance first?

[@ericandi]

So your saying that everyone who buys a model 3 performance should have to pay $10,000 more so the less than 0.1% of model 3 owners who track the car, can perform better at the track. That’s absurd.

[@tereyagiz775]

You guys need to create the new prime utomotive journalism trio with Jason camissa, we lost the old timers

[@adbdhamiltonhamilton5828]

Excellent fun-filled and fair review as always. I really appreciate your emphasis on driving dynamics which sets you guys apart. I want to know what the handing is like at the limit and you guys do that best, thank you. As a relatively affordable very fast road car, this is a brilliant choice, especially in the US with the incentives. It's good though, that you guys pointed out the track limitations. I opted for the regular dual motor Model 3. With Michelin Pilot sports, better dampers, aftermarket sway bars, and better brake pads, it's a really good sporty commuter car and even with the improvements, didn't break the bank.