Model 3 Performance Changes [in suspension and tires]

[ULEWZ]

If you are concerned about not being able to drive a Performance model, don't be. I've been a sports car driver for about 55 years and did drive a 3P. It's an amazing car! I have a '16 Z06 Corvette and the 3P is pretty much a match for it performance wise so I'm going to order a P3 in mid April.

I have had 3 C6 Vettes before buying my P3S, and can say until you get coilovers like I have, the Vette is much better at high speed cornering, and low speed turns with undulations. My P3S is very close to the Vette now when I have my sport coilovers set to 10/8. I run a Corvette group (yes, led by a Tesla) and other than a few drivers, most have trouble keeping up with me (this is even after taking off 20% for the street, as there is no need to go full out on the street). It is a different style of driving for me. I hit the corners a little slower, but once apexed, I can apply the power hard and takeoff.

 

[dfwatt]

Hi Everyone,

Patiently waiting on my M3P delivery and came across some pictures of an Air Suspension light on the newest rounds of updates... Kind of surprised to not see more people talking about this and actually has me considering canceling my delivery...

I've heard the ride of the Performance is harsh because of the stretch tires, so feel like this would be a stellar upgrade. Does anyone have any more insights into this?

Yes technically tires are only stretched if the rim mounting surface measures wider than the section width. In this case, the problem is not that the tires are stretched it's that the wheels are heavy and the tires are crap. Tesla for reasons unknown but most of us suspect Financial went from a best-in-class tire the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S to a cheapo EV Tire in one of the P Zeros. Everybody feels that this was a downgrade. Plus the Wider Wheels, the so-called Uber turbines (should be called Uber boat anchors), which are not really necessary on that tire weigh an extra 2 lb. So although some people like the appearance of them better this newer tire and wheel package is actually a significant downgrade. We generally recommend selling those when they are new and getting a proper set of lightweight forged wheels and going back to the Tesla spec Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

 

[Snade]

Just my two cents on the current M3P wheels and tire setup.

I've been zipping around Palm Beach County, Florida on a 2021 M3P for about two months. I come from a 2015 BMW M235i with performance Michelin tires.

I find the ride of the M3P with the stock PZero / Uberturbine setup to be about perfect. Here in Florida, we do not have many potholes. The suspension setup is firm but not too firm (never harsh). The PZero have excellent grip. And I find the entire setup looks really cool - I get a lot of complements on the wheels.

The car is a rocket. My neighborhood has a lot of performance / exotic cars and I hold my own, in particular from zero to 50.

I'm in no hurry to change anything on the stock wheel / tire setup. I expect I may replace the PZero tires with Michelin performance tires after 15k miles or so.

Cheers,

Snade

 

[dfwatt]

Just my two cents on the current M3P wheels and tire setup.

I've been zipping around Palm Beach County, Florida on a 2021 M3P for about two months. I come from a 2015 BMW M235i with performance Michelin tires.

I find the ride of the M3P with the stock PZero / Uberturbine setup to be about perfect. Here in Florida, we do not have many potholes. The suspension setup is firm but not too firm (never harsh). The PZero have excellent grip. And I find the entire setup looks really cool - I get a lot of complements on the wheels.

The car is a rocket. My neighborhood has a lot of performance / exotic cars and I hold my own, in particular from zero to 50.

I'm in no hurry to change anything on the stock wheel / tire setup. I expect I may replace the PZero tires with Michelin performance tires after 15k miles or so.

Cheers,

Snade

View attachment 659767View attachment 659770

Understood that compared to what you're used to the car is probably pretty comfortable and for sure a performance phenom. But you will find if you do the whole Wheel and Tire upgrade pathway that going to the lightweight forged wheels and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S really makes a difference, both in the ride and in the handling. Plus if you go forged 9 in by 20 rims you will drop 10 pounds a corner and probably pick up a tenth of a second in 0 to 60. And maybe a bit more in the quarter mile like 2/10.

 

[Snade]

Understood that compared to what you're used to the car is probably pretty comfortable and for sure a performance phenom. But you will find if you do the whole Wheel and Tire upgrade pathway that going to the lightweight forged wheels and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S really makes a difference, both in the ride and in the handling. Plus if you go forged 9 in by 20 rims you will drop 10 pounds a corner and probably pick up a tenth of a second in 0 to 60. And maybe a bit more in the quarter mile like 2/10.

Thanks. That's a lot of change for a tenth.

One more thing. I've posted some photos of my M3P on the forums and several people have asked me "what after-market wheels are you running - they look great - where did you get them."

I tell them - the stock Tesla wheels (Uberturbine) on the current M3P.

Cheers.

 

[dfwatt]

Thanks. That's a lot of change for a tenth.

One more thing. I've posted some photos of my M3P on the forums and several people have asked me "what after-market wheels are you running - they look great - where did you get them."

I tell them - the stock Tesla wheels (Uberturbine) on the current M3P.

Cheers.

Yes for sure the Uber turbines are Uber popular. They are also just Uber heavy! Yes, It's a lot of money if you're thinking that way (about a 10th of a second!) – but once you experience the improved ride particularly over rough surfaces which you will enjoy for way more than a 10th of a second (Many years one would assume), you realize that this is a good pathway – again if one has the funds. You get what you pay for.

 

[Dolemite]

A tenth of a second for a car that's already in the low-3s to 60 is pretty dramatic.

 

[Mahamilto]

As discussed about changing the wheels. I didn’t change them for the 0.05-0.1 drop on my 0-60. Nor did I drop them because I didn’t like the look (I actually did like the way they looked a lot).

I dropped them because on NYC roads I bubbled 2 tires and blew out a third in the first week of ownership. The mildly stretched slanted 35 profile sidewall didn’t stand a chance.

Now with 19” wheels on 245/40 profile, I’ve gone 1500 miles, hit a fair share of potholes, and every tire is holding on just fine.

Any acceleration bump is icing.

 

[gearchruncher]

A tenth of a second for a car that's already in the low-3s to 60 is pretty dramatic.

It's also just a random guess. 12lbs less per corner only speeds up a 9 second 0-60 car by 0.3 seconds. It's unlikely a much heavier, much faster car will see 0.1 second improvement. Especially in a car like a Tesla that manages power in complex ways as it accelerates and can overpower the tires up to about 20MPH, so it has the ability to put more energy out if it's ending up in rotational inertia.

Has anyone done the math or tests to see if 0.1 is likely? I'm all for lighter unsprung weight (because racecar) but let's not make up numbers without data.

 

[Mahamilto]

YouTube showed a model y performance go to a wheel that was 12lbs less per corner and they improved about 0.2. I’ll look for the video

 

[Mahamilto]

Tesla Model Y wheels and its impact on 0-60 acceleration

With the Tesla Model Y just beginning first deliveries a few weeks ago, owners are getting their first tastes of how the new all-electric crossover performs. Brian Jenkins from YouTube channel i1Tesla took his experiments a few steps further and recorded the Model Y Performance 0-60 MPH...

www.google.com

It was a .33 improvement going 20lbs lighter per corner. On a Y performance. With narrower and less sticky tires (easier to overcome with power tbh...)

Id assume dropping 12lbs per corner on the lighter 3 would give you 0.1ish. Especially if you maintain the grip.

 

[gearchruncher]

It was a .33 improvement going 20lbs lighter per corner.

That video also changed the tire diameter by 2", effectively changing the final drive ratio by 8%. (@Time 5:50 he says "these are 2 inches too small" and "it obviously lowered the car some").

This is an old drag racing trick that trades acceleration for top speed or efficiency. He also doubled some effects by going to smaller diameter wheels, which moves the moment of inertia inward even if the mass doesn't change. Too many variables to know where the acceleration change came from.

 

[Mahamilto]

No argument there. Most guys dropping the 20” on the model 3 performance also go down in diameter. I went to 19s...

Again, more for preventing flats, but any boost I’ll take.

 

[raptor5244]

I think the Michelin PS4S tires are so good my M3P rides better than my wife’s SR+ with the 18s. They are quieter and feel no harsher on the street.

 

[RefreshedP]

The 21 performance is probably the softest riding "performance" car I've ever owned. And yes, that sloppy feeling you felt in the LR is the same in the performance. It's in need of some aftermarket components to tightening everything up. Just be thankful you don't live in a colder climate. This thing is such a dissapointment around freezing temps.

 

[Snade]

The 21 performance is probably the softest riding "performance" car I've ever owned. And yes, that sloppy feeling you felt in the LR is the same in the performance. It's in need of some aftermarket components to tightening everything up. Just be thankful you don't live in a colder climate. This thing is such a dissapointment around freezing temps.

Right, I would need beefier tires to protect from potholes if I lived in my hometown of Chicago.

Here in Florida, the stock setup on the M3P works fine and I like the look of the 20" Uberturbine wheels and low-profile tires. I disagree the setup on the stock 2021 M3P is soft.

Cheers,

Snade

 

[TBrownTX]

Right, I would need beefier tires to protect from potholes if I lived in my hometown of Chicago.

Here in Florida, the stock setup on the M3P works fine and I like the look of the 20" Uberturbine wheels and low-profile tires. I disagree the setup on the stock 2021 M3P is soft.

Cheers,

Snade

I’m with Snade on this one.

Tim

 

[Mahamilto]

Not soft. Not overly firm... especially for a sedan (4 door...). Coming from a CTSV (basically an American M5; fastest Nuremberg time for a 4door at time of production) I can honestly say the M3P has less body roll and a noticeably lower COG than that excellent ride.

Steering a bit artificial/digital? Yes. Les grip or more roll? Nope.

For a sedan it’s very impressive.

 

[Snade]

Not soft. Not overly firm... especially for a sedan (4 door...). Coming from a CTSV (basically an American M5; fastest Nuremberg time for a 4door at time of production) I can honestly say the M3P has less body roll and a noticeably lower COG than that excellent ride.

Steering a bit artificial/digital? Yes. Les grip or more roll? Nope.

For a sedan it’s very impressive.

I agree - same with my experience with two months of ownership.

I had low expectations regarding the steering feel based on online buzz, but I get some road feel from the steering wheel. Do you feel that?

And last week I had a loaner from Tesla for a day with a Model S that was about four years old and had 40k miles on it. The steering was so loose and the suspension had that constant slow motion bouncy feel. I was happy to get my M3P back with the firm suspension and what feels to me like a fairly tight steering feel.

Cheers,

Snade