Model 3 Highland Performance/Plaid Speculation [Car announced 04.23.2024]

[mpgxsvcd]

The sad part is, they dont know that. And Tesla doesnt make it obvious that this is how it actually works. We all know because we are Tesla nerds.

They are aware that Track Mode slows the car down. They chose to ignore that fact because it gets more views and comments when the Model 3 loses.

It f they could make the Model S Plaid lose every time they would but it is so quick that it is actually a hard thing for them to do.

 

[DatWhiteM3P]

CarWow tests Tesla vehicles in Track Mode which destroys straight line acceleration. I don’t think I have ever done slower than 11.6 in my Model 3. I probably have 75 separate passes of 11.39 or quicker.

All of these passes are 11.39 or quicker and that was from over 1.5 years ago. 11.3s were disappointing runs for me last year.

View attachment 1007388

Keep in mind their dragraces are ALWAYS on unprepped concrete surface for the UK comparisons. That M3 Competition would also be faster on prepped surface like the slips you show a buch of. They did a 9,6 or 9,7 on concrete with the S Plaid.

 

[Zcd1]

...We all know because we are Tesla nerds.

Hey - I resemble that remark!!

 

[mpgxsvcd]

Keep in mind their dragraces are ALWAYS on unprepped concrete surface for the UK comparisons. That M3 Competition would also be faster on prepped surface like the slips you show a buch of. They did a 9,6 or 9,7 on concrete with the S Plaid.

Sure it is unprepped and the ICE cars struggle on that surface. However, that is something inherent with their design. If I can find a flat piece of road where doing 120+ mph won't get me thrown in jail then I could run the same times on the street that I do at the Dragstrip. The Model 3 Performance isn't limited by traction.

Everyone seems to think that every single Dragstrip has perfect prep for every run. The Dragstrips I go to charge you $20 for a whole day pass and sometimes there were only a handful of cars out there. They aren't laying down the glue for a handful of guys paying $20 each. There are times where the Dragstrip actually has less traction than the road. If water hits that traction compound it becomes very slick. That is why you can't run air conditioners out there.

I guarantee I could post an 11.5 with a fully stock Model 3 Performance on the CarWow UK track. I could go even faster than that with my weight reductions even on their track.

They also never show SOC for the cars. I have a feeling they are running the EVs at ~60% SOC to disadvantage them even more. A cold battery with low SOC just destroys the Model 3's straight line acceleration.

 

[terranx]

Who knew Tesla owners were so prone to such conspiratorial thinking

 

[GregD60]

Sure it is unprepped and the ICE cars struggle on that surface. However, that is something inherent with their design. If I can find a flat piece of road where doing 120+ mph won't get me thrown in jail then I could run the same times on the street that I do at the Dragstrip. The Model 3 Performance isn't limited by traction.

Everyone seems to think that every single Dragstrip has perfect prep for every run. The Dragstrips I go to charge you $20 for a whole day pass and sometimes there were only a handful of cars out there. They aren't laying down the glue for a handful of guys paying $20 each. There are times where the Dragstrip actually has less traction than the road. If water hits that traction compound it becomes very slick. That is why you can't run air conditioners out there.

I guarantee I could post an 11.5 with a fully stock Model 3 Performance on the CarWow UK track. I could go even faster than that with my weight reductions even on their track.

They also never show SOC for the cars. I have a feeling they are running the EVs at ~60% SOC to disadvantage them even more. A cold battery with low SOC just destroys the Model 3's straight line acceleration.

Why do you think it is that times in the 11.7 range are what 90%+ of Youtubers, users in forums, and just about everywhere else, report for a stock Model 3 Performance? How do you get your car to run consistent 11.3x times? What changes have you made to the car, and what do you do to prep it for a 1/4 mile run?

 

[Nabush]

Why do you think it is that times in the 11.7 range are what 90%+ of Youtubers, users in forums, and just about everywhere else, report for a stock Model 3 Performance? How do you get your car to run consistent 11.3x times? What changes have you made to the car, and what do you do to prep it for a 1/4 mile run?

I have an 2021 LR boost and do [email protected]... (18's with PS4S, MPP suspension parts and coilovers, big brakes) Performances are slightly faster...11.7s on a P is no battery conditioning and running 20" uberheavy wheels

 

[terranx]

Why do you think it is that times in the 11.7 range are what 90%+ of Youtubers, users in forums, and just about everywhere else, report for a stock Model 3 Performance? How do you get your car to run consistent 11.3x times? What changes have you made to the car, and what do you do to prep it for a 1/4 mile run?

Clearly all those people are being paid off by legacy manufacturers

 

[mpgxsvcd]

Why do you think it is that times in the 11.7 range are what 90%+ of Youtubers, users in forums, and just about everywhere else, report for a stock Model 3 Performance? How do you get your car to run consistent 11.3x times? What changes have you made to the car, and what do you do to prep it for a 1/4 mile run?

You are wrong. 11.70 gets you place number 132 on the Dragy list. 132 Performance Models and even a few LR + Boost Models are quicker than that.

Here are the first 10 runs I did with my car when it was 100% stock and I thought Track Mode would make it faster. These are a mix of street and track and some were even with passengers.

And here is what happens if you preheat the battery.

 

[White_Walker]

Only 1/4 mile pass ever, 2023 M3P stock everything and no battery preconditioning. SOC over 90%. I would say this qualifies as "average."

 

[GregD60]

You are wrong. 11.70 gets you place number 132 on the Dragy list. 132 Performance Models and even a few LR + Boost Models are quicker than that.

View attachment 1007472

Here are the first 10 runs I did with my car when it was 100% stock and I thought Track Mode would make it faster. These are a mix of street and track and some were even with passengers.

View attachment 1007471

And here is what happens if you preheat the battery.

View attachment 1007474

You're taking me out of context to make a false statement. An 11.7 may make you number 132 on the Dragy list, but that's still in the average range of people who review and report on Model 3s who aren't drag racers. People who use Dragy and report it are not the typical Model 3 Performance owners or reviewers, and represent only a small percentage of people who post their times on Youtube, forums, and other places. We generally don't know what they've done to their cars or how they get the times they do.

What I'd like to know is what the Dragy folks, like yourself, do different from the typical reviewer/user, and what actually makes the biggest difference. Is just making sure that the battery is almost fully charged and up to temperature enough to make a .2 second difference in the 1/4 compared to a car with a 70%+ charge? Or taking bits and pieces out of the car to lighten it? Or times with and without rollout? Sample to sample variation? Or ?

The majority of reviewers out there who have done 1/4 mile times with totally stock Model 3 Performance get times in the 11.7 range.
The Carwow video previously linked.
Dragtimes -

TFL Now -

Car and Driver managed a 11.6 - https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a36329678/2019-tesla-model-3-performance-by-the-numbers/
But Road and Track got an 11.8 - https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/a22625274/tesla-model-3-performance-track-test/

 

[GregD60]

This guy seems to answer most of my questions.

Keep in mind that the same people not getting the best out of a Model 3 Performance, are the same people running the M3 xDrive Competition in the 1/4. What are the odds that they do any better with that than they do with the Tesla?

In any case, we're getting off topic again. I think we all pretty much want/expect Tesla to get the new Highland Model 3 Performance into the 10s in the 1/4; the only question is where in the 10s.

 

[Zcd1]

You're taking me out of context to make a false statement. An 11.7 may make you number 132 on the Dragy list, but that's still in the average range of people who review and report on Model 3s who aren't drag racers. People who use Dragy and report it are not the typical Model 3 Performance owners or reviewers, and represent only a small percentage of people who post their times on Youtube, forums, and other places. We generally don't know what they've done to their cars or how they get the times they do.

What I'd like to know is what the Dragy folks, like yourself, do different from the typical reviewer/user, and what actually makes the biggest difference. Is just making sure that the battery is almost fully charged and up to temperature enough to make a .2 second difference in the 1/4 compared to a car with a 70%+ charge? Or taking bits and pieces out of the car to lighten it? Or times with and without rollout? Sample to sample variation? Or ?

The majority of reviewers out there who have done 1/4 mile times with totally stock Model 3 Performance get times in the 11.7 range.
The Carwow video previously linked.
Dragtimes -

TFL Now -

Car and Driver managed a 11.6 - https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a36329678/2019-tesla-model-3-performance-by-the-numbers/
But Road and Track got an 11.8 - https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/a22625274/tesla-model-3-performance-track-test/

Motor Trend got 11.5.

The Road and Track test was done before the 2 OTA 5% power increases.

CarWow doesn’t deduct for rollout.

 

[csammy]

This guy seems to answer most of my questions.

Keep in mind that the same people not getting the best out of a Model 3 Performance, are the same people running the M3 xDrive Competition in the 1/4. What are the odds that they do any better with that than they do with the Tesla?

In any case, we're getting off topic again. I think we all pretty much want/expect Tesla to get the new Highland Model 3 Performance into the 10s in the 1/4; the only question is where in the 10s.

That guy is mpgxsvcd, the same person you were having a conversation with here

 

[Ethan Ryczek]

Highland Model 3 just got released!!

 

[GregD60]

That guy is mpgxsvcd, the same person you were having a conversation with here

Well, shucks, he should have just posted a link.

 

[terranx]

Highland Model 3 just got released!!

So no performance model in the US yet either. Wonder when we’ll see that.

Edit: and the top speed got reduced to 125mph…

 

[Yelobird]

So no performance model in the US yet either. Wonder when we’ll see that.

Also don’t see any call out or photo showing the blind spot light many thought would be there?

 

[Ritz]

I read similar comments regularly, but mostly from people who don’t own Teslas. To me, the MUCH wider fender flares front and rear, plus wheels with far more aggressive offset completely change and dramatically improve the look and especially the stance of the refreshed S vs. the 2012-2021 body style.

Turns my head every time I see one.

I think it's a nice looking car, but it's larger than I want/need. And even though it wouldn't be financially painful at all to just write a check for a MS Plaid, it just isn't worth (for me) the price delta over the apparently now unavailable M3P.

Best,

 

[mpgxsvcd]

I wonder if resell values for the old Model 3 Performance cars will creep up once the current inventory is depleted?