Congratulations. You did it. Oh no, not me – I purchased a new BMW with an engine and a stick. Not you though. You helped make the i4 M50 the “best selling M car yet”, (yea, okay). You shunned anything but the fastest transmission options, and you’ve embraced all-wheel drive to ensure you get the stop light trophy. And now, you’ve given birth to this: the new Tesla Model 3 Performance.
What is the Tesla Model 3 Performance?
Let’s get the specs out of the way first, shall we?
- Revised all-new model based on the original Tesla Model 3 – this is the performance variant from that design.
- 510 horsepower, with an estimated 296-mile range
- 0-60 in a claimed 2.9 second, with a top speed of 163 MPH
- Features new adaptive dampers (a Model 3 first), revised bodywork, and a track mode
- Sits 0.4 inch lower than a standard 2024 Model 3. Tesla also says the springs, bushings, and stabilizer bars have been upgraded for the Performance model.
- Special sport seats – they do look comfy
- Should do a quarter-mile in the low 11s
Right now, going off the Tesla website, you can lease one of these for around $560 a month with 10,000 miles. Pretty good deal considering the speed, eh?
Now that that’s out of the way…
The Tesla Model 3 Performance is still a generic toy
When the Model S first arrived, everyone thought it looked like a space ship. But after a decade, Tesla’s design language is starting to wear thin. This latest Model 3 gets what amounts to a BMW-esque LCI facelift for the nose and tail, but it still looks a car an NPC would drive in a video game taking place in 2043.
If we’re going to spend the money on the performance model, don’t we want people to know? Otherwise, an M3 wouldn’t get all those M3 details.
And I still have large concerns over build quality and cabin material. Even these press images look cheap, and they are CGI. With Elon’s propensity to raise and lower MSRPs on stock price whim , you can bet the value will plummet as soon as you take delivery. Here’s a 2021 with 21,000 miles that sold for $33,000. Here’s an M3 from the same year, a bit more mileage, and it sold for $61,500. The M3 is a more expensive car, but losing $15k vs $20k (or more) on a Model 3 Performance is clearly better.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance’s Track mode and range
The issues of battery power, heat and performance is still very much a thing, so even though this car has a “track” mode, it better be a one-lap race. We can let that go – how many Blackwing owners track their rides? Still, nice to know you can if you want to.
The range (if accurate) of 296 miles is exactly the same as a manual M3, and slightly less than an xDrive Competition variant (343 miles). Thing is – I can fill them up anywhere. An M3 CS gets to 60 in 2.7 seconds, and can do it over and over again until it runs out of gas. Again – the M3 and Model 3 are going to spend a majority of their lives on trips to the supermarket and Sunday shows, but you are paying for that performance. In an M3, at least you can use it all the time.
Speed isn’t the answer
“BMW M3 is no longer the sports-sedan benchmark. The 3er has been luxo-fied and efficiency-focused to the point that there’s no real involvement, just added-back-in digital amelioration. You’re left with a laggy powertrain that, with an automatic, works well enough…”
First, I love Jason’s work, and he truly is an expert. I agree that modern cars are sometimes too numb. But Jason owns an e-Golf, a BMW 325 with a carbon date of BC, and a Mercedes older than Lewis Hamilton. He’s not exactly the core market for these cars. By the way, the S58 does lag below 2,000 RPM, but it’s not something you’ll notice if you keep the power band where you’re supposed to, and it doesn’t lag at all with the ZF. Sorry, Jason.
A lot of these guys want to extol the virtues of old cars (that they own) while poo-pooing modern ones that God forbid mix some comfort in with raw performance. I don’t want pure rawness on a Tuesday morning commute, and neither do they.
The issue here is more about speed versus feel. The M3 is tame in stock form, but all it takes is a $3,000 exhaust to wake it up. Even with an automatic, there’s still an engine bolted to the chassis. Same goes for the CT4- V Blackwing, a magnificent car that’s tactile and direct. You’re not cross-shopping it with a Model 3 Performance.
If all you care about is going fast, then what are we doing with the M3 anyway? Might as well push the electric one out tomorrow.
Electric cars can be excellent, and fun. I’ve no doubt that, quality issues aside, the Model 3 would be a terrific daily. But as a replacement for machines that are supposed to bring joy?
Never.
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