Do you think Tesla is limiting the MYP's launch performance to not compete with the M3P

[DayTrippin]

I have been debating between the M3P and MYP. I've test driven both and there was a lot to like about both of them. When I drove the MYP, it was clearly slower off the line. It does seem that from about 50 mph on up, it seemed very close to the M3P. Given that the MYP is rolling on bigger, heavier wheels, that don't do anything to help the acceleration.

I've looked at some test results from what people have posted for their cars and did some analysis on both models. It seems like the MYP only really lags the M3P is in the first 200'. Typically by 330' and on, it looks like they accelerate at pretty much the same rate. So this was very interesting as I waded through the data.

It seems like there are quite a few things at play here. Obviously, the MYP is making more power than the M3P. Given its trap speeds are almost the same, and it weighs about 10% more than the M3P and rolling on slower wheels yet the rate of acceleration after initial launch pretty much matches the M3P wheel for wheel to the end of the quarter mile.

So does Tesla limit the power at launch to basically cripple the MYP's performance so as to keep the M3P faster? Or did Tesla throw everyone a bone and give an HP boost down track so it would be more fun. I haven't run the numbers but I suspect if they didn't give that boost to the MYP, the M3 LR AWD would probably beat the MYP or at least run very close to it.

I guess the flip side of this is, if they did do something to boost the MYP performance, they could do that for the M3P and make it even quicker. Now that the MS series is even quicker, they would have the headroom to do that from a marketing perspective.

For our family, we'd love the extra room of the MYP but I don't want to give up the off-the-line performance of the M3P. I spend a lot of time riding hyper performance motorcycles so I am looking for a really fun daily driver. My wife would like the extra room for kid stuff that the MYP has. So if the MYP ran like the M3P at launch, it would be an easy decision.

So do you think Tesla is limiting the launch performance or did they give a bonus? Any chance of maybe an OTA option to make the MYP closer to the M3P?

 

[angus[Y]oung]

The MY is bigger and heavier than the M3 so has more inertia to overcome to get it into motion. I think it's as simple as that.

How fast do you really need to be moving your family around that the MYP isn't quick enough for you for day to day driving?

 

[Deep Purple]

I can't blame Tesla for limiting performance of any of these cars. It's a family SUV that catches the wind and handles well but not incredibly well.

sub 5 second is more than fine.

 

[rijc99]

I can't blame Tesla for limiting performance of any of these cars. It's a family SUV that catches the wind and handles well but not incredibly well.

sub 5 second is more than fine.

I don’t think Tesla is limiting performance due to catching wind or potential roll over. Cybertruck is taller and faster than MYP.

 

[DayTrippin]

It isn't about moving my family super quickly as much as I want to enjoy it when not doing family hauling duties. So rather than buying something very singularly focused such as NSX or C8 Vette , I wanted something that I could enjoy with or without the family.

My first choice for a family hauler was something like the AMG E63 wagon but my wife was interested in going with an EV almost as much as I was now that we live in a warmer climate. So something similar in performance led us to the M3P, MYP and MY LR.

Given the low center of gravity and generally excellent aerodynamics of Teslas (excluding Cybertruck), it is more likely marketing. It clearly isn't inertia either. A vehicle with ~10% more mass, and the same HP/TQ is never going to catch up to the less massive vehicle if all other things are equal. And they aren't here. While the drag coefficient (0.23) is supposedly the same, the MY has definitely more frontal area.

That means it will get exponentially harder to push through the air the faster you go. Roughly aerodynamic drag goes up by the square of the speed and HP required goes up by the cube of speed. We aren't factoring in the fatter, likely higher rolling resistance tires of the MYP as well. I don't have the time or interest to run all the numbers but something is clearly up and the MYP is clearly making significantly more TQ/HP than the M3P after about 30 mph or so.

At launch, they are probably comparable but shortly thereafter the MYP is probably making more than 10% more power than the M3P. Both are definitely fun but I do like how the M3P launches better.

 

[Quorky]

There is a good video of the M3P and MYP dynoed.

I think this is it:

There is a very clear difference in the power curves. The distribution is very flat on the M3P, where you feel a lot of power down low (off the line). On the MYP the power curve builds and is very steep.

I have the MYP and I am coming from M3P- (which is arguably the fastest variant of the M3, due to smaller/lighter wheels) and the performance in the feel of acceleration is dramatic. I really loved the pin you to the seat feel of the M3P. My wife continues to call the MYP "slow off the line."

I wish they would flatten the MYP power curve, even if they keep the same 0 to 60mph time. The initial Gs off the line is that exhilarating feeling. As much as I love the M3P I really enjoy the MYP better in looks, ride height, and overall extra space.

 

[brkaus]

that “down low” torque is what breaks things. It makes sense for a heavier car to be slower off the line.

 

[ArabianOak]

Yes, they are. Dragtimes did a great video on this. I know we are not discussing the M3 here but it was the MY vs MYP. They added the accel boost to the Y and it was dead even on a roll race, but got beat easily on dig racing. Very interesting stuff.

 

[DayTrippin]

There is a good video of the M3P and MYP dynoed.

I think this is it:

There is a very clear difference in the power curves. The distribution is very flat on the M3P, where you feel a lot of power down low (off the line). On the MYP the power curve builds and is very steep.

I have the MYP and I am coming from M3P- (which is arguably the fastest variant of the M3, due to smaller/lighter wheels) and the performance in the feel of acceleration is dramatic. I really loved the pin you to the seat feel of the M3P. My wife continues to call the MYP "slow off the line."

I wish they would flatten the MYP power curve, even if they keep the same 0 to 60mph time. The initial Gs off the line is that exhilarating feeling. As much as I love the M3P I really enjoy the MYP better in looks, ride height, and overall extra space.

Thanks for sharing this. Very helpful to see the differences.

I couldn't agree with you more about flattening the MYP power curve. Or at least make it closer to the M3P.I am all for the initial off the line acceleration. The initial launch is addictive on my bikes and I want that in the car as well. It also felt like at about 50 mph the M3P I drove pulled a little harder than the MYP. Maybe it felt that way because it squatted more and maybe skewed my impression a bit.

Where I live now there aren't a lot of twisty roads so overall handling isn't as critical. I'd have to drive at least 300 miles to find some roads that are actually engaging to drive on. So my focus is probably more on acceleration than it might typically be.

There are a lot of things I like better about the MYP but I don't think I am willing to forego the initial punch of the M3P to get it. Not to mention it is one part of the car's performance envelope I can enjoy without really worry about getting a ticket.

@ArabianOak - great vid from Dragtimes. Very interesting to watch. I am surprisedd they are that close from a roll. I'd really like to see how the software controls the power and what tweaks they have there.

Maybe Tesla will tweak something on the MYP now that the Mustang Mach E performance variants are coming out. That is pretty much throwing down the gauntlet.

 

[FOOLSLFDRVNG]

There’s a dyno video of Y and 3 and Y seems to have more power. The motor is different I remember hearing.

 

[DayTrippin]

On a somewhat related note, has anyone seen their times improve or get worse between when it was delivered and the first few thousand miles/kms?

I ask because I want to know if the performance of a car you test drive at the Tesla store is indicative of how it will run after any sort of break-in. I of course realize SOC is important but all the ones I drove had at least 85% SOC.

 

[ArabianOak]

Thanks for sharing this. Very helpful to see the differences.

I couldn't agree with you more about flattening the MYP power curve. Or at least make it closer to the M3P.I am all for the initial off the line acceleration. The initial launch is addictive on my bikes and I want that in the car as well. It also felt like at about 50 mph the M3P I drove pulled a little harder than the MYP. Maybe it felt that way because it squatted more and maybe skewed my impression a bit.

Where I live now there aren't a lot of twisty roads so overall handling isn't as critical. I'd have to drive at least 300 miles to find some roads that are actually engaging to drive on. So my focus is probably more on acceleration than it might typically be.

There are a lot of things I like better about the MYP but I don't think I am willing to forego the initial punch of the M3P to get it. Not to mention it is one part of the car's performance envelope I can enjoy without really worry about getting a ticket.

@ArabianOak - great vid from Dragtimes. Very interesting to watch. I am surprisedd they are that close from a roll. I'd really like to see how the software controls the power and what tweaks they have there.

Maybe Tesla will tweak something on the MYP now that the Mustang Mach E performance variants are coming out. That is pretty much throwing down the gauntlet.

Yep. They also have dead on trap speeds which tells me the peak power is the same but they limit initial power on the LR to make the P faster to 60.

pretty cool stuff. Lol.

 

[DayTrippin]

We do live in some pretty amazing times. Peak power would have to be more for the MYP to match the trap speeds M3P. It weighs more and has a worse drag coefficient. I have figured out I want one of two possible models that apparently Tesla doesn't make yet.

- The MYP without the power limitation at launch
- The M3P with the power the MYP has up top but keep the more aggressive launch characteristics of the M3P

So how about it Elon? I'd pay for a performance upgrade for either of these. I need to place my order Friday. Can we have an option by then?

 

[Quorky]

I agree with you 100%. Had to lookup the times and trap speeds myself.

M3P 0 to 60mph / 3sec, 1/4mile 11.6sec 114.4mph
MYP 0 to 60mph / 3.5sec, 1/4mile 11.91sec 116.0mph

For Tesla, another source of revenue could be incentivising people to opt for performance, by adding a power curve profile selector. You would be able to choose the power distribution profile that suits your driving style/habits.

It is obvious that the MYP has the power. From the shape of the curve it is also obvious that the front end part of the curve is corked. I am not sure if they are looking to have the option to raise the front end power but I would love for them to focus on some of these cool features, which would really customize the car on a totally different level.

 

[DayTrippin]

They are really threading the needle here. They don't want the M3P to be too fast, hence it will match the times of the MS LR 0-60 at 3.1 sec claimed. If the MYP is too fast, it could take sales away from the MX. The MYP looks to be quicker than the MX LR now.

The idea of a power curve selector would be awesome. I envisioned something like a multiband or parametric EQ so you could tailor the power where you want it the most within some limits. At least something beyond Chill and Sport would be nice. Of course for the MYP the track mode would be nice as well.

My wife thinks the MYP would be more practical and I think the M3P would be more fun.

 

[Quorky]

They are really threading the needle here. They don't want the M3P to be too fast, hence it will match the times of the MS LR 0-60 at 3.1 sec claimed. If the MYP is too fast, it could take sales away from the MX. The MYP looks to be quicker than the MX LR now.

The idea of a power curve selector would be awesome. I envisioned something like a multiband or parametric EQ so you could tailor the power where you want it the most within some limits. At least something beyond Chill and Sport would be nice. Of course for the MYP the track mode would be nice as well.

My wife thinks the MYP would be more practical and I think the M3P would be more fun.

I think you pretty much have no choice but to get both. You'd be crazy not to do it.

 

[DayTrippin]

Sounds like a great plan. I should have you talk to my wife.

 

[Freewheeler]

I seriously doubt they have anything operating near 100% on any variant. I suspect they could dial things up to 11 and grenade the drivetrains or at least shred the tires if they wanted to. Who knows, maybe keeping it conservative to keep warranty claims down. so maybe options available once they expire?

 

[FasterBlaster]

I seriously doubt they have anything operating near 100% on any variant. I suspect they could dial things up to 11 and grenade the drivetrains or at least shred the tires if they wanted to. Who knows, maybe keeping it conservative to keep warranty claims down. so maybe options available once they expire?

Hey @Freewheeler, my MSM MYP delivering a week from today. I‘m planning to get the Martian MW03s in black (I think). Care to share your experience/photos?

 

[Freewheeler]

Here's a couple of shots, but not glamour shots by any means. These are the 19" x 9.5 +45's in a square setup with Vredestein Quatrac Pros. For some reason, they almost look smaller but they have the exact same circumference as the Pirellis. The difference was noticeable immediately. The steering felt lighter and more responsive especially at lower speeds, the road noise diminished a bit, and the sense of "urgency" feeling every bit of grit on the road surface was reduced as well; so a bit smoother and lighter all around. I would swear there's a tad more jump off the line but I didn't measure it in any way, so maybe my expectations made me perceive it as such. I also haven't calculated any range difference as I take all sorts of different trips under all sorts of different circumstances (loads, distances, speeds, etc.) They really open up the view to the calipers whereas the Uber's pretty much blocked everything. I have since put color-matched Tesla "T" center caps in. To be fair I'd say this review would apply to any of the wheels in this weight range, so not specific to the Martian's. It's a matter of taste, and I look at the wheels as much as I look at the car because I can't look at one without the other lol.

Congrats on your new ride! Good choice!