The mods you need to make a Tesla Model 3 into a race car | Articles

Why the Model 3?

“They’re comfortable. It’s almost like being in your living room while in traffic,” says Sasha Anis of Mountain Pass Performance, a Tesla prep shop. “They’re also quite powerful and have a really good chassis. It’s a great car to drive on the road and it’s super fast on the race track.”

Then there’s the fact that the Model 3, like all electric vehicles, has far fewer moving parts than ICE cars. “It’s simple yet complicated,” notes Mike Chang, whose Evasive Motorsports Model 3 placed first among EVs at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. “You don’t have to do much. Do what you normally would do to any other car for racing.”

Making one faster is easy. “When we first started developing our Model 3, we upgraded the brakes, wheels and tires, and suspension,” Chang continues. “It was a night-and-day difference from the factory. At Buttonwillow, we were able to shave 7 to 8 seconds just from that.”

Then it gets complicated, especially when it comes to shedding weight and finding more power. “To shave another second requires reducing a lot of weight,” he explains. “You have to add aero, figure out suspension setup. If you want to keep going faster, it gets really hard.”

New Brakes Are a Must

One of the drawbacks of a Model 3 is its weight. It pushes the scales at about 4000 pounds straight from the factory. Combine that with around 500 horsepower–Tesla does not reveal its official power numbers–and you’ll achieve incredible loads. 

Plus, it uses regenerative braking, which lessens the need for a robust brake system on the street. On the track, however, it’s a different story.

“Put in racing brake fluid and get better brake pads,” Anis advises. “The factory brakes are not up to it, and the brake fluid is DOT 3. Track use will boil the brake fluid. As you get faster, you’ll need larger brake upgrades because factory brakes with just pads won’t be enough.”

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