In his latest social media fashion, Elon Musk tweeted over the weekend that Tesla will be releasing a Performance Model of the Model 3 electric car. The Model 3 already is a cheaper version of Tesla’s range and customers can now opt to have several new performance features such as a dual motor AWD option (cost of USD$5,000) which brings the car’s 0-100kmh acceleration speed to 4.5 seconds.
Cost of normal dual motor AWD option is $5k. Range is also 310 miles. Takes 0-60mph to 4.5 sec & top speed to 140 mph.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 20 May 2018
He also tweeted that customers can opt for the more expensive option which includes special paint jobs, wheels and more for around USD$78,000. To note, the base Model 3 starts at USD$35,000 which brings the higher spec vehicle to cost more than double. The interesting bit which included in the tweet was that Musk claims that the performance option would allow the Model 3 to be quicker than an M3 as well as handle better.
Cost of all options, wheels, paint, etc is included (apart from Autopilot). Cost is $78k. About same as BMW M3, but 15% quicker & with better handling. Will beat anything in its class on the track.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 20 May 2018
That is indeed a very bold claim and I am sure pundits are eagerly waiting for a test drive unit to see if the claim holds any water. Tesla has announced the similar type of upgrades for the previous models before and recently these performance upgrades and ludicrous modes are getting a bit of fame on the world-famous TV series, Silicon Valley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYBeRvmLJ_s
Another point to note is that Tesla’s dual motor mode is built such that if one fails, the car can still function and move. In terms of design, one is optimised for power and the other, optimised for range.
