Track Mode

[Jedi2155]

Except there are people like myself that ordered their car before any public mention of Track Mode. Tesla obviously knew about it and were developing it at the time I ordered. I would have potentially ordered the PUP if I had known about it. Other than the slight increase in top speed there was no indication of any difference in software.

TBH, based on their wording on the order page it sounds like it wouldnt even be a requirement because theres no mention of the special upgrades exclusive Performance on the PUP, but it does say it when you choose the 64k package implying it would be enough.

 

[Amp3d]

Great explanation on why you need big performance brakes for some casual drifting on a track.

There’s not a great explanation because generally, “casual drifting” is pointless on the track. It’s slower, eats up tires, and is how a lot of wannabe racers end up wrapped around trees. It does look cool, but it’s slow.

Going out to smoke the tires is not the same as going to the track to work on lap times. If someone wants to do the latter then the ability to carry speed into a corner, slow the car to the point where it won’t understeer right off the track, transfer weight and exit the corner with enough traction and balance to get back on the throttle repeatedly and predictably is exactly why track cars need big fade free brakes.

When the braking starts varying from lap to lap, at best the times suffer from having to brake early, and at worst the pedal bottoms out and you end up in the tire wall. Here’s a decent article on the subject:
Proper Brake Cooling Is Essential for Safety and Lower Lap Times | NASA Speed News Magazine

 

[MXWing]

Except there are people like myself that ordered their car before any public mention of Track Mode. Tesla obviously knew about it and were developing it at the time I ordered. I would have potentially ordered the PUP if I had known about it. Other than the slight increase in top speed there was no indication of any difference in software.

“Not much difference” is an indicator by itself.

People try to outsmart Tesla when Tesla has all the data...

When Tesla doesn’t have much uptake on an option they, should make the option more appealing. So if you are building game theory tables. Move, counter, move, counter something was going to happen with 3P+.

I have a strange Model X config. It has non Premium Upgrade Package but has bio defense option.

Why pay 5000 when they can pay 800 they said?!?!

When the option was briefly standalone, tons of people were exalted and talked crap about not getting PUP anymore because all they wanted was bio defense.

There was dancing for about a week until Tesla decided to pull it.

Make no mistake that Tesla reads the majority of the posts here even if they rarely post themselves.

There is always risks in going first, and there is risk in going last. Some people like @AnxietyRanger and @P85_DA are skilled at reading Tesla movements well and seem to nail pretty optimal configs.

My own analysis led to paying that extra 5K was going to open up more doors, particular if the offering looked weak as it did.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

It looks like #2 may come true.

Tesla on Twitter

Tesla sounds like it may be in the Tesla Shop to satisfy the P3D- owners.

If I have to characterize Tesla(both car and company alike) like a human figure, it's like a smoking hot chick with HUGE mood swing now and then. It's never predictable.

What's funny is you have less than 400 posts yet you seem to have a better grasp as to what Tesla does than even some old timers.

I've been around for long enough to see Tesla change it's mind countless times so if I was a P3D- owner I would simply try to press Tesla. That tactic has worked over, and over with Tesla when the demand was a reasonable request.

I think it's extremely important for Tesla to listen to P3D owners as a lot of us either come from Porsche or we're really attracted to what Porsche has to offer. It's important because we're the most likely to jump ship to the Porsche Taycan. I certainly will if the P3D+ doesn't pan out for me.

 

[chickensworth]

Now I’m really wondering if the P3D- with the newly announced aftermarket performance upgrade will be better and maybe even cheaper than the factory installed one. This could be possible if they found a way to ditch the 20s considering they are the least desired and one of the most expensive components of the performance upgrade package when looking at the standalone pricing. Anyway, there are so many possibilities that we will just be guessing about for who knows how long.

On a different note, Tesla mentioned they are working on an “aftermarket” performance upgrade package. How would you all interpret “aftermarket”? Could they be working with aftermarket part manufacturers on a completely different kit? Or could tesla parts that are installed after delivery be considered aftermarket? The latter doesn’t sound right to me.

I take that to mean you can get the Performance upgrade package after delivery... maybe ala cart, but certainly at a higher premium.

They’re offering a path for P3D- to get track mode, but it will probably cost more overall... for example -
From what we’ve heard, the brakes will be a necessary and integral component of track mode. Maybe you can buy them alone for 1500-2500, but that would require the 20’s that everyone loves to hate so much at 4K on top of the brakes (or other 3rd party wheels that fit the brakes)... and you’ll be stuck with Aeros that you won’t be able to put back on your car.

 

[MXWing]

I take that to mean you can get the Performance upgrade package after delivery... maybe ala cart, but certainly at a higher premium.

They’re offering a path for P3D- to get track mode, but it will probably cost more overall... for example -
From what we’ve heard, the brakes will be a necessary and integral component of track mode. Maybe you can buy them alone for 1500-2500, but that would require the 20’s that everyone loves to hate so much at 4K on top of the brakes (or other 3rd party wheels that fit the brakes)... and you’ll be stuck with Aeros that you won’t be able to put back on your car.

One consideration also is it would be unfair to charge even $7,500 as the 3P+ owners paid 5000 and did not have an extra set of 18 Inch wheels to show for it.

 

[Spidy]

There’s not a great explanation because generally, “casual drifting” is pointless on the track. It’s slower, eats up tires, and is how a lot of wannabe racers end up wrapped around trees. It does look cool, but it’s slow.

But racing overall is pretty pointless. Many people just do it for fun. Looking cool is sometimes the whole point...

Going out to smoke the tires is not the same as going to the track to work on lap times. If someone wants to do the latter then the ability to carry speed into a corner, slow the car to the point where it won’t understeer right off the track, transfer weight and exit the corner with enough traction and balance to get back on the throttle repeatedly and predictably is exactly why track cars need big fade free brakes.

Completely agree. But track mode was never really exclusively advertised as a mode for fast lap times. It's not called race mode. If you listen to mkbhd it really sounds more of a drift mode than best lap time one. Also Tesla did not even bother to take people to a real track like BMW or Mercedes usually do or Jaguar recently did with the I-Pace, so I really don't understand why some people are so hell-bent track mode just being for laps times and driving at the limit...
Marques Brownlee on Instagram: “Taking @Tesla's brand new car to a track and getting some power slides in. Not a bad day.”

 

[Pandamoanium]

“Not much difference” is an indicator by itself.

People try to outsmart Tesla when Tesla has all the data...

When Tesla doesn’t have much uptake on an option they, should make the option more appealing. So if you are building game theory tables. Move, counter, move, counter something was going to happen with 3P+.

I have a strange Model X config. It has non Premium Upgrade Package but has bio defense option.

Why pay 5000 when they can pay 800 they said?!?!

When the option was briefly standalone, tons of people were exalted and talked crap about not getting PUP anymore because all they wanted was bio defense.

There was dancing for about a week until Tesla decided to pull it.

Make no mistake that Tesla reads the majority of the posts here even if they rarely post themselves.

There is always risks in going first, and there is risk in going last. Some people like @AnxietyRanger and @P85_DA are skilled at reading Tesla movements well and seem to nail pretty optimal configs.

My own analysis led to paying that extra 5K was going to open up more doors, particular if the offering looked weak as it did.

You just had to remind me I didn’t buy BWDM when it was available in the store. I was going to buy it that night... it was gone by then. I’m still salty.

 

[chickensworth]

But racing overall is pretty pointless. Many people just do it for fun. Looking cool is sometimes the whole point...


Completely agree. But track mode was never really exclusively advertised as a mode for fast lap times. It's not called race mode. If you listen to mkbhd it really sounds more of a drift mode than best lap time one. Also Tesla did not even bother to take people to a real track like BMW or Mercedes usually do or Jaguar recently did with the I-Pace, so I really don't understand why some people are so hell-bent on the lap times and driving at the limit...
Marques Brownlee on Instagram: “Taking @Tesla's brand new car to a track and getting some power slides in. Not a bad day.”

It is called Track Mode, and generally you put down lap times at the track ... so not sure how your argument works there...

If it was about burnouts and drifts, it would be enough to just disable stability and traction control... track mode is supposedly much more.

 

[Maximilien]

I've been reading everyone's efficiency numbers and those with the performance upgrade definitely tend to hover betwern 290 to 320 Wh/mi which correspond to the 15% hit.

If it was 2 to 3% they'd already have my $5000.

Wait, you gotta be kidding me!

That's like my Model X usage. Today 78 miles of driving back and forth, I got average of 274 Wh/mile on X.

I admit I drove 65 mph (unlike most of you who drive 75 mph) almost entire time with Enhanced Autopilot on.

But still, this is the Model 3 that got 334 miles from EPA report which later downgraded to 310 miles by Tesla's request. Even for P3+, I think the car should get about 245 kWh~275 kWh if driven 65 ~ 75 mph. My Model S, 1000 lbs heavier too can almost make 300 miles of trip by driving 65 mph on highways.

 

[Jedi2155]

Wait, you gotta be kidding me!

That's like my Model X usage. Today 78 miles of driving back and forth, I got average of 274 Wh/mile on X.

I admit I drove 65 mph (unlike most of you who drive 75 mph) almost entire time with Enhanced Autopilot on.

But still, this is the Model 3 that got 334 miles from EPA report which later downgraded to 310 miles by Tesla's request. Even for P3+, I think the car should get about 245 kWh~275 kWh if driven 65 ~ 75 mph. My Model S, 1000 lbs heavier too can almost make 300 miles of trip by driving 65 mph on highways.

I mean, it depends entirely on the conditions, Troy's chart range chart appears relatively accurate when I asked around people's real world Wh/mile and their driving condition. You're essentially getting a 15% reduction relative the Aero wheels. The AWD+20" relative to the RWD+Aero is roughly 22% difference.

To convert the chart in Wh/mile efficiency, I'd have to get the actual tested battery capacity for each model.
For the Model 3 LR (page 6 footnote), I'm going with this EPA value: 78.270 KWh
For the Model X 100 (page 14), I could only find AC recharge energy which was reported as 113.2 kWh. Assuming 90% efficiency: That gives us 101.88 KWh usable. You could probably use this same figure for the Model S 100 sized packs too get the Wh/mi equivalent.

There are multiple entries for different sized vehicles. Only the Model 3 actually reported the DC energy used as every other report gives us the AC energy.

At 65 MPH:
Model X100D 20": 337Wh/mi
Model 3 P 20": 276 Wh/mi
Model 3 LR 18"+Aero: 224 Wh/mi

At 75 MPH:
Model X100D 20": 399Wh/mi
Model 3 P 20": 326 Wh/mi
Model 3 LR 18"+Aero: 264 Wh/mi

So for the same conditions you're looking at roughly 22% more energy used per mile when comparing a P3D+ against an X100D. The P3D+ is roughly 22% worse than the 3LR+Aeros. So the X100D is about 51% worse than the Model 3 LR + Aero.

 

[Maximilien]

What's funny is you have less than 400 posts yet you seem to have a better grasp as to what Tesla does than even some old timers.

I've been around for long enough to see Tesla change it's mind countless times so if I was a P3D- owner I would simply try to press Tesla. That tactic has worked over, and over with Tesla when the demand was a reasonable request.

I think it's extremely important for Tesla to listen to P3D owners as a lot of us either come from Porsche or we're really attracted to what Porsche has to offer. It's important because we're the most likely to jump ship to the Porsche Taycan. I certainly will if the P3D+ doesn't pan out for me.

True but it didn't always work tho'
Here are the two major examples:
- Dual Motors Introduction Late 2014.
- AP 2.0 in 2016 October

It got to the point where group of missed out owners petitioned for order change from P85+ to P85D as the performance was so much better. I was wondering if Tesla would be nice to satisfy the customers, but it didn't happen as far as I know. It got even funnier when a group of Tesla owners also petition that Tesla do not give these people break and do not let them change the order - boy, they were harsh to those missed out customers. I was only lurking the forum here at that time and 2014 was time when Teslas were not as abundant as today. I remember those angry P85+ customers.

AP 2.0 totally drew me in to buying Tesla and this is when I joined the TMC. There were many big threads how AP 1.0 people felt betrayed by Tesla as Elon tweeted the delta for AP 2 hardware is more than the car itself or so. So many threads of angry owners, especially who missed out by like 2 weeks to a few months.

With Model 3 so popular now in southern CA, Tesla should be careful now when it makes a decision. The early adopters(2012-2014 owners, man, at that time I rarely saw Tesla on street!!!) were car enthusiasts and they could easily bite and let it go if something goes wrong. When the car is popular as in Model 3 with more customers, the complaints can be heard more loudly across the auto industry. Other automakers may like that as Tesla seem to hog the sales recently.

So this was like Déja vú all over again and I wasn't surprised that some people were gonna miss out. But I am more surprised Tesla listened to people after being pressed. The new Model 3 owners who never had any Tesla may find it odd but well, after all, I think they will get used to how Tesla changes mind a lot, like Free Unlimited Supercharging. I am not surprised if it comes back again in Roadster and Model Y, even though it announces at this September 16th marks the last chance to get free supercharging.

 

[ddm3]

I currently have a RWD Model 3. When I heard the P version was coming out with 3.5s 0-60 at $78K, I wanted the quickness but didn't want to spend that much especially with all the extra stuff I didn't want. Then Tesla changed the pricing to exclude the stuff I didn't want and I bit on the P3-. Now they're moving the goalposts again, saying I have to buy all the stuff I didn't want in the first place to get additional features. Well now the car is at $75K, pretty close to the $78K I wasn't interested in. I might have gone for the AWD if I'd known all of this, but now that's $5K instead of the $4K I could have gotten it for. But then again AWD isn't that much of a boost for me to consider upgrading from the RWD especially considering the loss of range. So my decision comes down to just keep the RWD or go all in for P3+, because getting P3- makes me feel like a chump who's stuck in the middle and gets no upgrades.

Tesla's tweet said Track Mode will only be "available" for P3+. I put "available" in quotes because we don't know if that means it will be included for free or will require additional $$. It was never included in any descriptions so it's very possible Tesla could charge for it. Later they said they're looking to provide P3+ aftermarket which will logically require additional $$ and should theoretically be Track Mode-upgradeable. Does that mean P3- could buy this package to get Track Mode and not install any of the hardware or will it be tied to actual installation? What if the P3- already has upgraded hardware that's better than OEM?

And what about Ludicrous mode? Will it be available only to P3+ OEM or, for P3- cars, will it require upgrade to aftermarket P3+? And will it be free or cost $$? Or maybe it will only be available in newer versions of the car and can't be retrofitted even to P3+? Or maybe there will never be a Ludicrous mode because it might cannibalize Model S sales?

No one knows. There's no guarantee that getting P3+ will get Track Mode for free or any other future upgrades. There's so much uncertainty and Tesla doesn't seem to care to clarify any of it.

The only things keeping me from cancelling immediately are the fed rebate and free supercharging. If those weren't in jeopardy, I would cancel and wait it out. (And i know people will point out it's only $3750, but that's still 75% of EAP or even PUP so it's not chump change.)

 

[lotusland]

If this is just an option to buy PUP after purchase, I won't bite. The P3D+ is too expensive IMO and simply adding track mode does not change that. Tesla should simply enable TM for all P3D variants. It's a great bonus for buyers and will further the (positive) buzz.

They have the opportunity to get the best car on the planet in the hands of many chatty enthusiasts, I hope they don't blow it. There is more at stake here than just the added $5k.

 

[Jedi2155]

No one knows. There's no guarantee that getting P3+ will get Track Mode for free or any other future upgrades. There's so much uncertainty and Tesla doesn't seem to care to clarify any of it.

Welcome to the club. You are now a Tesla owner. Lol, in all seriousness, there are pro's and con's of the Model year system. The pro is that people who buy the previous model year at the beginning know they get to feel they're at the top of the world for at least a year. The con is that people who buy later, don't get experience the latest and greatest as soon as its available.

My recommendation is, if you can afford the P3D+ and don't mind the drawbacks, get it and just say that you made the best decision given the information you had at the time of your purchase.

If there is a moderate cost concern, then the AWD or P3D- is obviously your middle grown, but as others have said, only the top package upgrades tend to get the bonus so MXWing's game theory analysis applies here. Any expectation of bonus for P3D- owners should be taken with great care.

That's where saving your money and waiting for a P3D+ with ludicrous mode comes in and just wait for it then. The tax credit will go away and what that happens your resale value might go up as a result.

 

[ℬête Noire]

The early adopters(2012-2014 owners, man, at that time I rarely saw Tesla on street!!!) were car enthusiasts and they could easily bite and let it go if something goes wrong. When the car is popular as in Model 3 with more customers, the complaints can be heard more loudly across the auto industry. Other automakers may like that as Tesla seem to hog the sales recently.

So this was like Déja vú all over again and I wasn't surprised that some people were gonna miss out.

Keep in mind that even though you've got a lot of cars out there now that on casual glance could be Model 3 Performance cars, it is a small percentage of those that are and will be Performance, with our without the P+ upgrade. So the impacted group here are still mostly going to be hardcore car people.

 

[chickensworth]

If this is just an option to buy PUP after purchase, I won't bite. The P3D+ is too expensive IMO and simply adding track mode does not change that. Tesla should simply enable TM for all P3D variants. It's a great bonus for buyers and will further the (positive) buzz.

They have the opportunity to get the best car on the planet in the hands of many chatty enthusiasts, I hope they don't blow it. There is more at stake here than just the added $5k.

It may not be as simple as ‘adding track mode.’ There’s good evidence that the brakes from the PUP are a necessary component of track mode. It’s not a simple traction control defeat.

 

[wbhokie]

I take that to mean you can get the Performance upgrade package after delivery... maybe ala cart, but certainly at a higher premium.

While I would generally agree... they used one key word there where I would hesitate. "Aftermarket". They seems to imply a non-OEM route to get there. We love to speculate Anyway, some sort of option is coming, let's see what it is! Would be nice if you said "Hey I got MPP rotors and sticky tires on light forged wheels, hook me up!" but I know it won't be like that.

 

[dhanson865]

Finding a 18” solution that can cover the BBK and accept the aero covers does not exist to my knowledge.

18 TST do....at least that’s what they claim

I think you missed the part about the aero covers. 18" TST wheels fit, but they don't accept the aero covers.

 

[ulrichw]

It may not be as simple as ‘adding track mode.’ There’s good evidence that the brakes from the PUP are a necessary component of track mode. It’s not a simple traction control defeat.

IMO there's very poor evidence that the upgraded brakes are required for this.

You are correct that Track Mode is not simply an ESC/traction control defeat, but from the vague descriptions available it is primarily optimizing front/rear torque from the motors (from Sideways in a Tesla Model 3 Performance with Track Mode):

Over to Tesla to elaborate: “Since the introduction of the Tesla Roadster, we’ve exploited the immediate availability of motor power and torque to achieve unprecedented straight-line performance, making the car’s forward acceleration a pure extension of the driver. With Track Mode, our goal was simple: use that same motor power and torque to make cornering feel just as natural as forward acceleration.”

Besides which, the brake applications to "balance" a car are very mild - no way they'd require anything other than the stock brakes.

If anything, the extra regen in track mode should be friendlier to the stock brakes than the default settings. Any energy going into the battery is energy that the brakes don't have to absorb/dissipate.

Edit: clarified wording to allow that track mode does use brakes, but shouldn't require large brakes.