Possible Performance Model 3 sighting?

[Az_Rael]

First Tesla Model 3 with performance dual motor reportedly spied on test track

I am guessing the red brake calipers are what they are making the guess on. A performance dual motor version would probably tip me over the edge of actually buying one, which I am on the fence about now.

 

[boiler81]

Isn't that an old video from prior to the Delivery Event recorded by Trevor, of the Tee shirt forum? The calipers don't look as well finished as the existing production one's, so I'm not convinced there's anything new here.

 

[Az_Rael]

Isn't that an old video from prior to the Delivery Event recorded by Trevor, of the Tee shirt forum? The calipers don't look as well finished as the existing production one's, so I'm not convinced there's anything new here.

Good question. Does anyone have links to that original video?

 

[tracksyde]

Here's what TrevP said today (10/18/17):

A tipster sent me a video last night...

I got a report a couple of days ago of a black Model 3 with red brake callipers being tested at the Fremont track. Person said they were also testing other Model 3s but this one was noticeably faster at the acceleration run spot. There's been some speculation on the internet this was staged but I can say first-hand when they were still testing the release candidates back in the summer they always stopped at this spot and did acceleration runs.

I will say this: this car seems a LOT quicker than the Long Range model I was in

source: First video of a performance Model 3!?

 

[phigment]

Did a quick search on youtube, and I found a video I never saw before. It's from March 31, 2016.. and there are red calipers on it! Don't think that means much.

 

[tracksyde]

Did a quick search on youtube, and I found a video I never saw before. It's from March 31, 2016.. and there are red calipers on it! Don't think that means much.

That was the original prototype car that they showed off at the first reveal. The one with the mythical silver paint.

If I recall, I believe the cars that people got test rides in at the 3/31/16 event were said to all be dual motor as well.

 

[boiler81]

I like the Alpha prototype calipers better. Hope P version looks more like this (bigger rim and bigger caliper with "TESLA" graphic).

 

[TEG]

I wouldn't compare features / performance / paint / anything of the 3/31/16 prototype / concept cars to the production cars.
( Other than the general shape. )

They probably had prototype drivetrain - maybe even Model S equipment in them.

And yes, they had red brake calipers back then.

 

[TEG]

Note, the car in the new video has the auto pilot camera in the front fender.
The old concept cars just had a lighted T-logo with no camera.

So the new video with red calipers looks closer to a production car.
But who knows... maybe they were just testing different brake calipers.
Red calipers doesn't automatically mean performance car.

 

[Zaphod]

Hard to tell for sure, but the wheels on this car seem larger diameter and seem to fill the wheel openings better. Also, the wheel offsets seem to push the wheels further out. This wheel style was originally 20" on the silver prototype. Also, potentially has air suspension and therefore possibly lower ride height. All speculation.....but what better do we have to do

 

[Garlan Garner]

Well. They might as well test a dual motor car.

Aint nothin else happenin.

 

[Etna]

I was also curious to find out what kind of acceleration this car is doing in this video.

This can be calculated easily and with a high level of accuracy, as this is not much different from some sleuthing I am doing at work for aircraft flight test data analysis.

The guard rail posts are visible in Google Maps satellite view, I can count 50 posts over 313.39 feet (using the Google maps measuring tool) so that's 6.268 ft post spacing.

I downloaded the video and looked frame by frame when the car passed each post, the car passed 32 posts in the video, and I plotted that black curve.

The red curve is an acceleration that matches the data from the video, and the result is as follow:
- Mean acceleration: 0.76 g
- Top speed at video cut: 106 km/hr or 66 mph
- 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 sec
- 0 to 100 km/hr in 3.8 sec

 

[T34ME]

- 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 sec

Hold on to your cajones! That should get your kids to the soccer match on time!

 

[Candleflame]

the time isnt impressive, his calculation is lol.

 

[T34ME]

the time isnt impressive, his calculation is lol.

What do you drive that will get you from 0-60 in less than 3.8 seconds?

 

[Gen3Joe]

Candleflame is right. If the P Model does 0-60 in 3.8 it is not impressive. BMW M3 does it in 3.9. The Model 3 can't just barely beat the BMW it needs to utterly destroy it. It needs to cause embarrassment to any would be M3 challenger to demonstrate the dominance of the EV over ICE.

 

[thelastdeadmouse]

I was also curious to find out what kind of acceleration this car is doing in this video.

This can be calculated easily and with a high level of accuracy, as this is not much different from some sleuthing I am doing at work for aircraft flight test data analysis.

The guard rail posts are visible in Google Maps satellite view, I can count 50 posts over 313.39 feet (using the Google maps measuring tool) so that's 6.268 ft post spacing.

I downloaded the video and looked frame by frame when the car passed each post, the car passed 32 posts in the video, and I plotted that black curve.

View attachment 255313
The red curve is an acceleration that matches the data from the video, and the result is as follow:
- Mean acceleration: 0.76 g
- Top speed at video cut: 106 km/hr or 66 mph
- 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 sec
- 0 to 100 km/hr in 3.8 sec

Did you attempt to account for the effect of parallax? If not than the car would have actually passed more posts than it looks like, meaning its faster than you calculated. An example...

You can see that in the second photo, the car would look like it's passed 8 posts from the perspective of the cameraman, but when viewed from the top its clear he's passed 10. The further away the car gets, the more dramatic effect. In the third picture, the car appears to have passed 22 posts, but when viewed from above its actually 28.

 

[Etna]

Yes I did take parallax into account.

 

[WileyTheMan]

Candleflame is right. If the P Model does 0-60 in 3.8 it is not impressive. BMW M3 does it in 3.9. The Model 3 can't just barely beat the BMW it needs to utterly destroy it. It needs to cause embarrassment to any would be M3 challenger to demonstrate the dominance of the EV over ICE.

I disagree. It only needs to compete in this market, and that 0-60 time is competitive enough *for now*. Tesla has proven their new tech can post good numbers, and then go back and improve on them in future iterations. I can almost guarantee you won't see that speed measurement in the 2s for a while.

On a personal note, I'm not going to be able to afford getting a First Production Model 3, so I may try to same my pennies for this performance edition!

 

[JeffK]

I can almost guarantee you won't see that speed measurement in the 2s for a while.

There's no physical reason why this shouldn't be possible. Also, if it's not in the 2s then I'm not calling it Ludicrous. Insane yes, Ludicrous no...