I will start off by saying that I definitely enjoy my M3P and have no regrets about purchasing it. However, after a year and a few months of driving it, I have had some thoughts that I would like to share.
As background, I have previously owned an AMG C63 with the 6.2l engine, an AMG C63s with the twin turbo 4l engine, and a BMW M4. I enjoyed each of these cars to varying degrees and I will spend a moment describing their pluses and minuses. The 6.2l C63 was a classic AMG hot rod. The engine was amazing, but the chassis and particularly the comparatively skinny tires made for lots of drifting and burn out action, but only modest corner grip. Nonetheless,a really fun car for its day. The M4 handled pretty well, but at the cost of a fairly harsh ride (which I did not mind, but others have complained). The engine was nice, but definitely not amazing. The big downside was the traction / stability control. Literally, if it sensed even the slightest risk of slip it would intervene so forcefully you might think someone had pulled the emergency brake. Defeating the stability control overcame this problem, but I like a safety net, so I rarely resorted to this. Finally, the C63s also has a remarkable engine. While a huge leap forward compared to the previous generation C63 chassis, the car was still a bit heavy and the tires still too skinny. The car was predictable, and handled well within its limits, but those limits were a bit low. To its credit, the stability control was set up perfectly, both in terms of waiting until there was really a problem and in gentle and minimal intervention.
This brings us to the M3P. As others have mentioned, the interior is not really up to the quality of the above competitors, but it is comfortable enough for me and the M3P's lower price and higher performance certainly make up for any interior shortcomings for me. I am amazed that Tesla can currently sell an M3P for about $55,000 that outperforms those other cars on the street and on the track when they cost between $75,000 and $85,000.
I will say that for me, there is a bit less of a sense of excitement when driving the M3 at least compared to the 2 AMGs. Those cars felt less isolated from the road and gave more overall feedback. On the other hand, the M3 is considerably more relaxing to drive and much better suited for long road trips, particularly when using auto pilot even without FSD. Also, unlike the M4, I have not experienced an overactive stability control system in the M3P.
Sorry for all the prologue, but here is my thinking and proposal. Many car magazines have been reporting the imminent arrival of a new and improved BMW M3/M4 duo that will eventually include all wheel drive variants and that are reputed to have kicked up the horsepower from the low to mid 400 range up to 503. This suggests that BMW is serious about beating the M3P at the track and retaking the sport sedan crown. While less has been written about future AMG vehicles, I am certain AMG will respond in kind.
Based on all of the above, I think Tesla should offer a Super Sport (or Ludicrous or whatever) version of the M3P to stay ahead in the sport sedan race and to offer greater driving excitement. What would this include you ask (and I'll tell you even if you didn't ask ;-).
* Higher capacity battery - with advancing battery technology, Tesla should now have access to batteries with higher capacity than the current M3P battery, and, importantly, these new batteries should weigh no more and preferably less than the current battery.
* Higher capacity / power drive motors and circuitry - with more battery capacity (and higher current capacity) the rest of the drive system should also get beefed up to provide quicker acceleration and perhaps less fall off at higher speeds.
* More sophisticated suspension - In a world where Camaros, Mustangs and Corvettes have fancy computer controlled shocks and suspensions that provide comfortable ride, reduced brake dive, better weight transfer for acceleration, and flatter cornering, it is time for Tesla to step up and offer something comparable. Tesla can also implement variable ride height as it has with the Model S to improve highway range and high speed cornering.
* Better brakes - the M3P brakes are fine for the street, but given the range of higher performance aftermarket offerings, there is clearly room for improvement for cars that may see occasional or frequent track duty.
* True lightweight forged wheels - When I wanted a second set of wheels so I could have dedicated winter wheels / tires, I splurged for the T-Sportline forged wheels. The weight difference really is at least 10 lbs per wheel and you can feel the difference in front end response, turn-in and a generally more nimble feel. Forged wheels are also stronger, so other than cost, there is no downside here.
Given that the current C63s costs north of $80,000 in any reasonable configuration and that the new BMW M3/M4 will likely be in the same ballpark, Tesla has lots of price headroom to implement all of the above improvements and more while still undercutting its competitors' prices.
Perhaps the only thing holding Tesla back in this regard is a desire to keep the Model 3 performance below that of the flagship Model S. However, when the Plaid Model S arrives, that obstacle should disappear.
Well, that is my proposal. I will say that if Tesla takes me up on it and succeeds as I expect, I will line up for a trade-in.
I welcome all constructive feedback.
Peace
As background, I have previously owned an AMG C63 with the 6.2l engine, an AMG C63s with the twin turbo 4l engine, and a BMW M4. I enjoyed each of these cars to varying degrees and I will spend a moment describing their pluses and minuses. The 6.2l C63 was a classic AMG hot rod. The engine was amazing, but the chassis and particularly the comparatively skinny tires made for lots of drifting and burn out action, but only modest corner grip. Nonetheless,a really fun car for its day. The M4 handled pretty well, but at the cost of a fairly harsh ride (which I did not mind, but others have complained). The engine was nice, but definitely not amazing. The big downside was the traction / stability control. Literally, if it sensed even the slightest risk of slip it would intervene so forcefully you might think someone had pulled the emergency brake. Defeating the stability control overcame this problem, but I like a safety net, so I rarely resorted to this. Finally, the C63s also has a remarkable engine. While a huge leap forward compared to the previous generation C63 chassis, the car was still a bit heavy and the tires still too skinny. The car was predictable, and handled well within its limits, but those limits were a bit low. To its credit, the stability control was set up perfectly, both in terms of waiting until there was really a problem and in gentle and minimal intervention.
This brings us to the M3P. As others have mentioned, the interior is not really up to the quality of the above competitors, but it is comfortable enough for me and the M3P's lower price and higher performance certainly make up for any interior shortcomings for me. I am amazed that Tesla can currently sell an M3P for about $55,000 that outperforms those other cars on the street and on the track when they cost between $75,000 and $85,000.
I will say that for me, there is a bit less of a sense of excitement when driving the M3 at least compared to the 2 AMGs. Those cars felt less isolated from the road and gave more overall feedback. On the other hand, the M3 is considerably more relaxing to drive and much better suited for long road trips, particularly when using auto pilot even without FSD. Also, unlike the M4, I have not experienced an overactive stability control system in the M3P.
Sorry for all the prologue, but here is my thinking and proposal. Many car magazines have been reporting the imminent arrival of a new and improved BMW M3/M4 duo that will eventually include all wheel drive variants and that are reputed to have kicked up the horsepower from the low to mid 400 range up to 503. This suggests that BMW is serious about beating the M3P at the track and retaking the sport sedan crown. While less has been written about future AMG vehicles, I am certain AMG will respond in kind.
Based on all of the above, I think Tesla should offer a Super Sport (or Ludicrous or whatever) version of the M3P to stay ahead in the sport sedan race and to offer greater driving excitement. What would this include you ask (and I'll tell you even if you didn't ask ;-).
* Higher capacity battery - with advancing battery technology, Tesla should now have access to batteries with higher capacity than the current M3P battery, and, importantly, these new batteries should weigh no more and preferably less than the current battery.
* Higher capacity / power drive motors and circuitry - with more battery capacity (and higher current capacity) the rest of the drive system should also get beefed up to provide quicker acceleration and perhaps less fall off at higher speeds.
* More sophisticated suspension - In a world where Camaros, Mustangs and Corvettes have fancy computer controlled shocks and suspensions that provide comfortable ride, reduced brake dive, better weight transfer for acceleration, and flatter cornering, it is time for Tesla to step up and offer something comparable. Tesla can also implement variable ride height as it has with the Model S to improve highway range and high speed cornering.
* Better brakes - the M3P brakes are fine for the street, but given the range of higher performance aftermarket offerings, there is clearly room for improvement for cars that may see occasional or frequent track duty.
* True lightweight forged wheels - When I wanted a second set of wheels so I could have dedicated winter wheels / tires, I splurged for the T-Sportline forged wheels. The weight difference really is at least 10 lbs per wheel and you can feel the difference in front end response, turn-in and a generally more nimble feel. Forged wheels are also stronger, so other than cost, there is no downside here.
Given that the current C63s costs north of $80,000 in any reasonable configuration and that the new BMW M3/M4 will likely be in the same ballpark, Tesla has lots of price headroom to implement all of the above improvements and more while still undercutting its competitors' prices.
Perhaps the only thing holding Tesla back in this regard is a desire to keep the Model 3 performance below that of the flagship Model S. However, when the Plaid Model S arrives, that obstacle should disappear.
Well, that is my proposal. I will say that if Tesla takes me up on it and succeeds as I expect, I will line up for a trade-in.
I welcome all constructive feedback.
Peace
