Tuned Tesla Model 3 Trumps Track Mode Experience In One Lap

Faster isn't always better.

Domenick Yoney

By: Domenick Yoney

Nov 24, 2020 at 4:36pm ET

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If you're a fan of how "track mode" affects the driving experience of the Tesla Model 3, this video may be of special interest to you. In it, the good folks at take this popular electric sedan that's been slightly modified for a spin around its track to see how it compares with the original.

At the heart of the change is something called the Ingenext module. Installed in a Tesla Model 3 Long Range like the one in this test, it adds about 50 horsepower and can reduce the zero-to-sixty time to 3.7 seconds (from 4.2 seconds). It also removes traction, stability control functions, and regenerative braking.

Now, this may not be a good thing for many drivers. Though we sometime refer to traction and stability control as "nannies" in a denigrating way, they do increase the safety of the vehicle. However, if you're an enthusiast who is perfectly fine with a bit of drifting or the rear end stepping out, this may give you the sort of freedom from these safety features that even track mode cannot give.

Join us on more One Laps of the track!

Custom Overland Tesla Model Y Performance Lurches Through One Lap

Leaving the start line with Kyle Conner behind the wheel, the acceleration boost is noticeable. Once the modded Model 3 starts hitting the turns, the lack of nannies becomes super-apparent. For Conner, the difference is a positive one, with the car now completely dependent on its chassis and the driver's skill to negotiate the turns at speed. Luckily, both seem to be up for the task and the mid-sized electric makes it all the way successfully back to the start/finish line.

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Summing up the experience during a cool down lap – those brakes get hot! – Conner gives us his overall impression. He is enthusiastically pro-Ingenext module, despite the fact that it's still not quite as fast around the circuit as the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Sometimes, though, fun is more important than a slightly improved lap time.

Speaking of which, the official One Lap time for this single orbit of the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research (NCCAR) track was 1:47:00. That's exactly one second faster than the exact same car managed prior to being modified. And, it's about a second-and-three-quarters slower than a lightened Model 3 Performance that was also upfitted with suspension mods.

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