[SEAT TIME RULES]

Originally Posted by The HACK

I prefer to think that track in any car should be experienced, and just like sex with a fat girl, it can be good and there’s nothing wrong with it.

I wouldn't know I've never experienced it

There’s plenty of existing infrastructure to support EVs at my local tracks. Supercharger stations within 15 minute drives, 240V outlets, etc. I typically never fill up at the track, so I don’t see what the big deal is.

What local tracks are you talking about? Most tracks I've been to are lucky to have any 240V's. Sounds like your from the West Coast...


The engineer’s Model 3 that got driven like a village bike, her car held up just fine despite being out in multiple sessions each day. She just plugs it into a 240v outlet commonly available at our local tracks for RVs, and only had to hit the Supercharging station once more to make it through the day.

As for the lack of vroom vroom sound, I’ve driven FWD “sport” sedans on track that makes plenty of vroom vroom sounds. Between the heavy understeer and lack of the ability to use the throttle to overwhelm the rear tires, and the lack of vroom vroom sound, I’d take the lack of vroom vroom. I’m just saying there are far worse cars to take to the track. Just like there are far BETTER cars to take to the track, unless you’re in a Lotus Exige S or GTx car or McLaren. The Tesla isn’t going to supplant those for a long time.

You are entitled to your opinion..

I 100% don't agree with it...The Tesla 3 is not a track car and unless battery tech changes drastically it never will be. 3 laps and it starts to pull power losing roughly 3 seconds per lap. On a 60 sec track like LRP thats an eternity of time. That means I'd lap you in about 20 laps in a decent track ride.

Also the car weighs 500+lbs more than most "sports cars". I don't know your experience level is, or what you drive, or have driven at the track but that weight eats rotors, pads and tires very, very fast.

But out of all available EVs, it’s actually pretty damn good. Good enough to churn some pretty good lap times with some good tires. The fact it doesn’t make glorious combustion noise on track isn’t going to stop me from enjoying it. And mechanically it is superior to a vast majority of ICE cars on the market today on track. Unless you step up into the M cars, P cars, and AMGs and beyond, or the answer to all “which car should I get for track” questions, there’s not many cars on the market today that will out perform a Performance Model 3 on track TBH. Not for the low $56K price point.

LOL, you think the Tesla is mechanically superior to most ICE cars on the track? Maybe a 3 lap Time Trial its quick. but that doesn't mean its mechanically superior. There is nothing special about its suspension, and it has a Open Diff, not a LSD so putting power down at apex to track out is crappy. Once you get past its EV Tech the car is nothing special.

Also lap times are a great way to gauge performance but not how much fun the car is. I'll drive a ND Miata, or a BRZ , or a Camaro, Mustang, and many other cars that are less than that price point that either turn times in the range of the Tesla S, or not that far off.

On a tight track like Thompson or NHMS, the Tesla's power would be wasted and the brakes would overheat quickly, most performance street tires would get greasy and on, and on and on...Here's where a properly balanced ICE car shines and is far more fun to toss around than a 4000 lb battery.

Also, what happens when a Tesla breaks down?

There service Center network is thin : https://www.tesla.com/findus/list/se...nited%20States

Also client stories regarding service issues and parts availability are not good.

I won't own one, lease one, or even sit in one. The dash looks like George Jetson's idea of modern and the fit and finish sucks.

Finally, I have yet to see a single Tesla at any HPDE's I've instructed at. If I was assigned a student with one, I would request another student.

YMMV,
HAZMAT
2020 M2C