I have read every article and viewed every video I can find on the P3D+ to try to decide if it is suitable for track/performance use. I was interested in buying one. My conclusion is it is not quite there yet. It's a little too early.
1) It doesn't have enough cooling capacity for the batteries and motors for sustained performance use. Track Mode is just trying to create a heat sink by precooling the system that is quickly overcome in a few laps, resulting in power being pulled back. There have been some supercharged ICE cars with the same issue with intercoolers, and they just plain had to get to work on more cooling capacity. Tesla needs to do the same. You should be able to go out on a hot day, and there should be plenty of steady state capacity to dissipate all the heat generated.
2) Track Mode is not a substitute for just having a stability control system that you can turn off. Almost every performance car, and even many non-performance cars have the ability to turn off the stability control. Why not the Model 3? When I read that a seasoned race car driver, Randy Pobst, went off the Willow Streets track in a P3D+ in Track Mode at 90 mph, a mere mortal like me has no chance. I don't need a stability control system to trip me up. I need one I can turn off. and drive within my and the vehicle's limits as I do in other cars.
3) They need to have the ability to turn off regenerative braking on the throttle pedal, instead of increasing it as they did with Track Mode. You can't effectively and smoothly drive one pedal on a track. That's ridiculous. This is another item that tripped up Randy Pobst.
After reading all these report, I get the impression that the people designing the P3D+ have never driven on a track or even aggressively on a back road. It seems like they are trying to over engineer the software so the car will drive itself, and then under engineer the mechanicals.
I see a lot of potential, though. I'm optimistic for the future.
1) It doesn't have enough cooling capacity for the batteries and motors for sustained performance use. Track Mode is just trying to create a heat sink by precooling the system that is quickly overcome in a few laps, resulting in power being pulled back. There have been some supercharged ICE cars with the same issue with intercoolers, and they just plain had to get to work on more cooling capacity. Tesla needs to do the same. You should be able to go out on a hot day, and there should be plenty of steady state capacity to dissipate all the heat generated.
2) Track Mode is not a substitute for just having a stability control system that you can turn off. Almost every performance car, and even many non-performance cars have the ability to turn off the stability control. Why not the Model 3? When I read that a seasoned race car driver, Randy Pobst, went off the Willow Streets track in a P3D+ in Track Mode at 90 mph, a mere mortal like me has no chance. I don't need a stability control system to trip me up. I need one I can turn off. and drive within my and the vehicle's limits as I do in other cars.
3) They need to have the ability to turn off regenerative braking on the throttle pedal, instead of increasing it as they did with Track Mode. You can't effectively and smoothly drive one pedal on a track. That's ridiculous. This is another item that tripped up Randy Pobst.
After reading all these report, I get the impression that the people designing the P3D+ have never driven on a track or even aggressively on a back road. It seems like they are trying to over engineer the software so the car will drive itself, and then under engineer the mechanicals.
I see a lot of potential, though. I'm optimistic for the future.