Preliminary test drive with track mode

[Dyhppy]

Just did a test run at about 6/10 on a safe "closed circuit."

Holy moly! Color me impressed. My quick background. Have owned and loved a s2000 for 13 yrs. Other Favorite cars are the boxster s, entry level Ferrari (430, 458) and FRS.

The default performance car handles well but has a slight understand feel. Like there's and ass and you are pulling it along. Once you turn on track mode, the cooling system starts and you don't feel much different until you go hard into your first turn. The turn in on this 4000lb car feels more eager than my s2000. I'm having trouble typing that but it's true. It no longer feels like it has an ass. In fact it feels like it has no ass and the back gets pretty light especially when you lift off the accelerator in the turn. It feel so willing to rotate that I was silently mouthing "wow" repeatedly. It actually feels similar to a FRS in how it's playful almost dating you to drift the back. I didn't break traction yet but you can sense it. The contradiction comes when you feel the non hardcore suspension. It's kinda soft and floaty compared to say a s2000 but it also feels capable. Really weird feeling. The Regen difference is immediate. The green line goes almost all the way to the left and it makes the car feel tighter almost like a manual in 3rd or 4th gear.

I'm just floored by this development. The car was already good to drive but now it's like really FUN to drive. The power you can apply on the exit is tremendous.

Autopilot and tacc are unavailable in track mode if anyone is wondering. You can turn off the mode while driving but you have to be parked to activate it.

Incredible achievement by Tesla. Worth every penny and more compared to the competition. Now if only I didn't have to pay for tires...

 

[Sw0rdf1sh]

Nice! I got the update this AM but have yet to click on it. Need to find a closed track stat!

 

[Johnabis]

curios if any difference in launching the car from a standstill and 0-60 time is faster

 

[paranoidroid]

Thanks for the overview. Next step is they allow us more configurability, such as if I don't want to run the cooling full time because it's not necessary for the specific drive.

 

[woodisgood]

Awesome to hear! Also, apparently going to the track is way more common than I thought it was, lol.

 

[Vines]

curios if any difference in launching the car from a standstill and 0-60 time is faster

Nothing Tesla has said about track mode to this point will increase the 0-60 times. We already have slip start, so that's the best you will get for straight line performance.

I'd love to be wrong but I doubt it.

 

[Nocturnal]

Just pulling out onto the street with track mode the rear tires broke lose at less than half throttle. I was shocked. Donuts here I come!

 

[TANGO SUKKA]

agree. i took a freeway onramp (circle) that im very comfortable/familiar with, trying to slowly creep up to the limit and break traction, but it never happened. car felt SO ****ING SOLID AND PLANTED. it actually shocked me.

coming from a 03 350z track edition, this thing actually feels like it handles better.

 

[Runt8]

Has Tesla said if using track mode has any effect on the warranty?

 

[TANGO SUKKA]

Has Tesla said if using track mode has any effect on the warranty?

why would a feature included in the car void warranty if used?

i do remember seeing some language somewhere that said if you take your car to a race track or autocross, it could void warranty. seems like a grey are tho.

 

[Vines]

The warranty does say that racing damage is not covered by the warranty. I too am curious if tesla would refuse to replace a drive unit, battery ect if it broke while you were racing. They have so much power to read what you were doing that it would not surprise me.

I doubt they would be draconian like saying "if you ever engage track mode your entire warranty is void" but I a do not know where they would draw the line. Breaking on the track? Breaking within a day of the track? It likely depends if anyone starts slagging motors while doing a racetrack event.

 

[Runt8]

why would a feature included in the car void warranty if used?

i do remember seeing some language somewhere that said if you take your car to a race track or autocross, it could void warranty. seems like a grey are tho.

I thought I remembered something that Elon tweeted about it potentially damaging things and being for experts only but I can’t remember exactly what it was now. I just had a general impression that it could be used in a way that could cause damage to the car but I could be way off.

 

[Johnabis]

if you haven't done so already, when you get a chance try launching your car to see if 0-60 is any faster. curios if it launches harder.

 

[ebmcs03]

why would a feature included in the car void warranty if used?

i do remember seeing some language somewhere that said if you take your car to a race track or autocross, it could void warranty. seems like a grey are tho.

Other manufactures say if you use a specific feature too much it voids warranty. I thought BMW said if you used launch control too much it will void clutch warranty. The only manufacture that doesn’t have a clause I think was Porsche. Feel free to use launch control all day long and they will still warranty the car and parts

 

[TrumpetTitan]

Glad to hear from another owner that has a good performance benchmark (an S2000).

 

[Nocturnal]

I can't wait for Spring to take the car out on the track with track mode. I've completed two track events prior to track mode so I think I'll be able to identify the differences. Especially interested in how much longer it will take to hit limp mode due to heat.

The warranty does say that racing damage is not covered by the warranty. I too am curious if tesla would refuse to replace a drive unit, battery ect if it broke while you were racing. They have so much power to read what you were doing that it would not surprise me.

I doubt they would be draconian like saying "if you ever engage track mode your entire warranty is void" but I a do not know where they would draw the line. Breaking on the track? Breaking within a day of the track? It likely depends if anyone starts slagging motors while doing a racetrack event.

If it broke while racing you would might be SOL, which is reasonable. If it broke down later they would probably have to make some sort of claim that your actions caused the damage. Just wear and tear from the track is probably hard to use to void a warranty.

 

[HighandDry]

It's not uncommon for car manufacturers to deny warranty claims if the car is tracked. Being a past track rat, I think that this is reasonable in certain cases. The amount of stress and wear you are putting on a car while on the track is so much more than street driving.
There was a big controversy in the past with Porsche and their Carbon Ceramic brakes failing at the track. Porsche ended up not covering the PCCB's during track use.

 

[Knightshade]

There was a big controversy in the past with Porsche and their Carbon Ceramic brakes failing at the track. Porsche ended up not covering the PCCB's during track use.

LOL

Here's a $10,000 brake upgrade that is utterly useless for anything but the race track.

Also- it's not warrantied if you use it on a race track.

 

[Vines]

LOL

Here's a $10,000 brake upgrade that is utterly useless for anything but the race track.

Also- it's not warrantied if you use it on a race track.

The upgraded brakes are certainly good for any kind of high performance driving not just on a track. Its definitely not required but far from utterly useless. I am pretty sure you know this but you repeat it often enough I'd point it out.

Your average EV doesn't need it, your average driver doesn't either. YMMV

 

[Knightshade]

The upgraded brakes are certainly good for any kind of high performance driving not just on a track.

Other than on a track (or similar closed course) where, in the US anyway, can one do this "high performance" driving with the PCCB brakes would make any different whatsoever?

Your average EV doesn't need it, your average driver doesn't either. YMMV

Outside of track driving nobody does unless they're named Jason Bourne and get chased by people with guns frequently.

Stock brakes can stop the car from any legal speed exactly as short as $10,000 upgraded ones can.

If you want to stop shorter you need better tires, not better brakes.