Quote:
Originally Posted by The HACK
Don’t make assumptions about me you can’t confirm. 
But to answer your question. No I have not slide MY Tesla Model 3 through a corner at 9/10th on track. I have, however, done so in SOMEONE ELSE’s Tesla Model 3 at speed, on track.
One was one of our fellow instructor’s Model 3 RW Long Range. He wasn’t made an instructor at the time, I was his last instructor before he was “made.” I got to drive his car angry. And it didn’t disappoint. It didn’t “wow” because I like my track car to make vroom vroom noises. Would I take my Tesla to a Pacific Region BMW CCA DE? Probably once or twice. That’s just the SOP for being my car (had the i3 or the Bolt or the Fiat had enough range to make it to a local track and finish a session without running out of charge, I would have taken them to the track. In fact, those are the ONLY three cars in my possession that I’ve never taken to the track in the last 20 years).
The other was a car belonging to a Tesla engineer that signed up for one of our CCA DEs. I didn’t want to drive that at 9/10th because she was a D student and unlikely to learn or enjoy her car being driven at that speed. But I wrung it out as best as one could in the “C” group (do I need to explain? I will if I have to). Funny thing is, every instructor wanted to take turns on that Tesla. It got driven like the village bicycle that day. But it held up well enough for a fairly early production car.
I think for a track car? Doesn’t pass the vroom vroom test. I would never permanently use it for track. But it holds its own agains most sports sedans. With the right tires it’ll hang with an M car for a lap or two. If there’s only one track day left in the world? There’s no way I’d take the Tesla out of the three cars left in the garage. If I’m doing 6-8 weekends again once the COVID thing is done? There’s absolutely no way I’d not use the Model 3 for at least 1 weekend at the track (if it’s the right track, like Auto Club Speedway where there’s 240V plugs available in the garage, or Laguna, or Buttonwillow where there’s a Supercharger near by). |
So what I'm reading between the lines is that driving a Tesla at the track is kind of like dating a fat girl. It can be fun, but you don't want your friends to see you.
I have driven S, X and 3 at the limit at a test track. I've also had the pleasure of doing the same with many exotics on a closed course. I would rather take a Fiat Abarth around a track than any Tesla.
Tracks don't have the infrastructure to support EVs, and they take way too long to charge.
And you already reached a conclusion that something is missing from the driving experience.
I get EVs as people movers, and they have potential to be more fun in the future. Torque vectoring of a 3 motor EV would be way better than M active diff. But today does not exist. Today's EVs don't come close to offering the driver experience of a good IC sports car.