Its own nose and tail
The Performance gets unique front and rear fascias, a splitter, a diffuser and a carbon-fiber spoiler. Tesla says they cut drag by up to 5% and lift by 36%, and improve front-to-rear lift balance by 55% claimed (The Car Guide).
Tesla Model 3 Performance 0-60, quarter mile and the cheapest 11-second sedan, explained
2.9 s to 60 on Tesla's terms, 2.8 s when two magazines timed it. 528 horsepower for $54,990.
How fast is the Tesla Model 3 Performance?
Tesla claims the Model 3 Performance reaches 60 mph in 2.9 seconds claimed with the first foot of rollout subtracted, and tops out at 163 mph claimed (Tesla). In October 2026 it raised the US car from 510 to 528 hp claimed and left the 0-60 claim alone (Electrek).
The testers beat Tesla's number. Car and Driver recorded 2.8 s and an 11.0 s quarter mile at 125 mph recorded (Car and Driver), and MotorTrend matched it with 2.8 s and 11.0 s at 125.2 mph recorded on the optional summer tires (MotorTrend). Both subtract rollout the way Tesla does. Edmunds, timing from a dead stop, got 3.0 s and 11.0 s at 123.7 mph recorded (Edmunds). It costs $54,990 reported before destination (Electrek).
The Performance Tesla meant to build
The first Model 3 Performance arrived in 2018 promising 3.5 s and 155 mph for $78,000, and Elon Musk tweeted that it would be "about same as BMW M3, but 15% quicker & with better handling" (The Drive). Top Gear's Jack Rix wrote that Tesla engineers "all say the same thing: the first-generation Model 3 Performance was a pulled punch" (Top Gear).
The "Highland" version, revealed on April 23, 2024, got a new rear drive unit, adaptive dampers, sport seats and its own bumpers and spoiler. "This time, it feels like Tesla planned to do a Performance model right from the start," MotorTrend's Scott Evans wrote.
Numbers for the price of a family SUV
Every figure carries its label. claimed means Tesla said it. recorded is timed on an actual run: an instrumented test, a certified or verified record run, or a maker's own pass on a drag strip's timing system. verified means an official body. reported is press we couldn't trace to a primary source. converted is a maker's 0-100 km/h claim converted to 0-60 mph. derived is our math. Here's how we label numbers.
528hp
US rating from October 2026, up 18 hp. Tesla didn't say where the extra power comes from
2.8s
0-60 mph with rollout subtracted, the same way Tesla times its 2.9 s
11.0s
Quarter mile, stock, in three magazine tests trapping 123.7 to 125.2 mph
18.3s
0-150 mph, 8.7 s quicker than Car and Driver's 2019 Model 3 Performance
163mph
Top speed. We found no independent run
0.95g
Skidpad grip on summer tires, the best MotorTrend has measured on a Model 3
$54,990
US price before the $1,390 destination fee, unchanged by the October 2026 update
915days
Since Tesla revealed the Highland Model 3 Performance
Zero to 60, in real time
Each bar fills at the real speed of that car's 0-60 time, from the race's lineup. The extra Model 3 bar is Edmunds' run from a dead stop. Tesla's 2.9 s subtracts the first foot of rollout.
Tesla Model S Plaid claimed1.99 s
Porsche 911 Turbo S claimed2.40 s
Lamborghini Revuelto converted2.41 s
Tesla Model 3 Performance claimed2.90 s
Nissan GT-R Nismo recorded2.90 s
Model 3 Performance, dead stop recorded3.00 s
Ford Mustang GT recorded3.70 s
Is Tesla's 2.9 seconds real?
Yes, and a little conservative. Tesla's site footnotes the time "with rollout subtracted," the drag-strip habit of starting the clock after the car has moved a foot (Tesla). Car and Driver and MotorTrend time the same way, and both got 2.8 s. MotorTrend's first car, on the all-season tires Tesla also sells, did 2.9 s.
From a true standstill the number is about 3.0 s: that's what Edmunds recorded, noting that "Tesla's 0-60 mph time includes rollout, while ours does not." Our methodology guide explains how we handle rollout when we compare cars.
A Model 3 that hides its homework
Studio views are our own generated illustrations, not Tesla photography or design data. The second slide is a real photo.
What's hiding in the body
Tap a marker. Figures are Tesla claims unless noted. Studio views are our own generated illustrations.
01A nose that makes less lift
Vertical corner intakes and a black splitter set the Performance apart from other Model 3s. With the diffuser and spoiler, Tesla claims up to 5% less drag and 36% less lift.
02An induction motor up front
The front motor is an induction unit of 184 hp and 162 lb-ft, by MotorTrend's spec sheet. Behind the 20-inch wheel sit larger rotors and calipers with track-ready pads.
03Seats with real bolsters
Ventilated Sport Seats with deeper bolstering, 12-way power adjustment and heating. Top Gear found "some proper bolstering, but still a good amount of squidge."
04About 80 kWh in the floor
MotorTrend lists an 80.0 kWh nickel-based pack and Road & Track 79.7 kWh. MotorTrend's car added 142 miles in 15 minutes on a fast charger recorded.
05Most of the shove is here
A permanent-magnet rear motor of 355 hp and 339 lb-ft, per MotorTrend, on wider 275/30R20 tires against 235/35R20 in front. Tesla says the new drive unit gives a more rear-biased torque split.
06A spoiler that earns its place
The carbon-fiber spoiler works with the diffuser to balance lift front to rear at speed, which Tesla says improved by 55% over the old car.
What is the Model 3 Performance's quarter-mile time?
Eleven flat, almost every time. Car and Driver, MotorTrend and Edmunds all recorded 11.0 s in stock cars, and Hagerty's Jason Cammisa ran 11.0 s at 122 mph against a BMW M3 CS that pipped it by about a car length with launch control on (InsideEVs). Car and Driver's 2019 Model 3 Performance was six-tenths slower and trapped 10 mph lower. Owner LearningFast found the rest: 10.75 s on a fully conditioned battery, then 10.65 s at 128 mph at Rockingham Dragway with the passenger seats removed (LearningFast).
Lamborghini Revuelto, Edmunds9.90
Owner, seats out, 128 mph10.65
Car and Driver, 125 mph11.0
MotorTrend, summer tires, 125.2 mph11.0
Edmunds, 123.7 mph11.0
MotorTrend, all-season tires, 123.2 mph11.1
Nissan GT-R Nismo, Car and Driver11.2
2019 Model 3 Performance, Car and Driver11.6
2018 Model 3 Performance, MotorTrend11.7
Quicker everywhere except the brake test
Track Mode V3 lets the driver slide the handling balance from full understeer to full oversteer, and MotorTrend got its best figure-eight lap, 23.8 s, with "a decent amount of understeer selected." Its stopping distances were worse than the old car's, which MotorTrend blamed on rubber: the old Performance wore Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, the new one Pirelli all-seasons or a milder Pirelli summer tire (MotorTrend).
On a road course, Hagerty found a BMW M3 Competition quicker by less than two seconds a lap. After 15 minutes of continuous lapping in Track Endurance mode, which caps speed to protect the hardware, the BMW was more than 5,000 feet ahead, though the Tesla's brakes didn't fade reported (InsideEVs).
Old Model 3 Performance, MotorTrend99
Edmunds109
MotorTrend, summer tires, third car110
MotorTrend, summer tires, second car112
MotorTrend, all-season tires116
Three Model 3 Performances
The first car for scale, then the Highland at launch and after its October 2026 update. US prices before destination.
2018 to 2023
First generation
The original, with 20-inch wheels and a carbon spoiler, and Track Mode from late 2018.
- 0-60 mph
- 3.5 s
- Top speed
- 155 mph
- Quarter mile
- 11.6 s
- Launch price
- $78,000
0-60, top speed and price are Tesla's 2018 launch claims, as optioned (The Drive). The quarter mile is Car and Driver's 2019 car recorded.
Highland, 2024
Revealed April 23, 2024
New rear drive unit, adaptive dampers and Track Mode V3.
- Power
- 510 hp
- 0-60 mph
- 2.9 s
- Range
- 296 mi
- Launch price
- $52,990
Tesla figures at launch (TechCrunch). The range rating later rose to 303 and then 309 miles.
October 2026
On sale now
More power and range, a 16-inch screen and a black headliner.
- Power
- 528 hp
- 0-60 mph
- 2.9 s
- Range
- 316 mi
- Price
- $54,990
Tesla claims (Tesla). Cars sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are rated at 460 hp (InsideEVs).
From a pulled punch to 528 horsepower
Eight years of the quick Model 3, from Musk's tweet to this month's update. Scroll sideways.
23days since Tesla raised the Performance to 528 hp
May 20, 2018
"About same as BMW M3, but 15% quicker"
Musk announces the first Model 3 Performance: 3.5 s, 155 mph, $78,000 claimed.
Nov 2018
Track Mode
Tesla releases Track Mode, tuned with help from MotorTrend's Randy Pobst.
Sep 2023
Highland, minus the Performance
The refreshed Model 3 launches outside North America and orders for the old Performance close.
Apr 23, 2024
The new Performance
510 hp, 2.9 s, 163 mph and adaptive dampers for $52,990.
Jul 15, 2024
10.65 seconds
An owner runs 10.65 s at 128 mph with the passenger seats removed.
Sep 12, 2024
A car length behind an M3 CS
Hagerty's drag race: 11.0 s at 122 mph, and first place when nobody uses launch control.
Oct 18, 2024
Car and Driver's numbers
2.8 s, 11.0 s at 125 mph and 0-150 mph in 18.3 s recorded.
Nov 14, 2024
Outlasted on track
Hagerty's BMW M3 Competition finishes 15 minutes more than 5,000 feet ahead.
Sep 30, 2025
The tax credit ends
The $7,500 federal EV credit stops for cars acquired after this date.
Aug 19, 2026
Three cars, two tires
MotorTrend's retests end at 2.8 s, 11.0 s and best-ever grip for a Model 3.
Oct 2, 2026
528 hp, same price
More power and range, a 16-inch screen and a black headliner.
What people are saying
Reviewers agree on the speed and split on the rest. These are opinions, quoted with links.
The bargain
"Nothing else as quick can be bought anywhere close to the price of a Model 3 Performance."Scott Evans, MotorTrend
MotorTrend named the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and the Corvette as the only cars close, both costing more.
The giant killer
"Only the Bimmer has a gas tank and costs about $30K more than the Tesla."Eric Stafford, Car and Driver
A 2023 BMW M3 Competition xDrive posted the same 60 mph, 130 mph and quarter-mile times in Car and Driver's testing.
The grown-up
"A daily driver with a naughty side you can uncork now and then."Jack Rix, Top Gear
Rix still listed the EV's limits: "no gears, no noise and weight of over 1,800kg."
The aging rocket
"The Model 3 still feels like 2017, and time only moves forward."John Pearley Huffman, Road & Track
The same review called it "a rabid rocket" and "competent and a bit, well, soulless."
The consensus: no new car this quick costs less, and the instrumented tests beat Tesla's own 0-60 claim. The complaints are about everything around the speed: tires that hold back the brakes, a car that loses to an M3 over a long track session, a design that hides what it is, and an interior and shape that date to 2017. Edmunds, which bought one for a long-term test, put it simply: "You can't beat the performance-per-dollar factor here" (Edmunds).
Live: news and buzz
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See it for yourself
MotorTrend's three-car test
MotorTrend · Sep 14, 2026 · 7:07
Against an M3 CS and a C63
Hagerty · Sep 12, 2024 · 16:36
Track battle with Randy Pobst
Hagerty · Nov 14, 2024 · 26:59
Top Gear's first drive
Top Gear · Apr 23, 2024 · 12:30
New against old, UK cars
carwow · Aug 20, 2024 · 14:44
U-Drags against an M3 CS
Edmunds · Jan 30, 2025 · 12:56
Two years, 14,000 miles
Edmunds · Oct 15, 2026 · 18:50
On the Throttle House track
Throttle House · Sep 25, 2024 · 20:31
An owner's 10.75 s
LearningFast · Jun 30, 2024 · 10:55
Track Mode at Laguna Seca
ZEVcentric USA · Jul 21, 2024 · 23:31
The long walkaround
Redline Reviews · Jun 26, 2024 · 42:39
Things most people don't know
01
Tesla undersells it
Two magazines timing exactly as Tesla does beat its 2.9 s claim by a tenth.
02
Americans get 68 more horsepower
US cars were rated at 510 hp and now 528 hp. Tesla rates cars sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at 460 hp.
03
It traps like a 640 hp car
The classic Hale formula turns a 4,046 lb car plus a 175 lb driver, trapping 125 mph, into about 640 hp derived, well above Tesla's rating. An owner estimates closer to 615 hp estimate.
04
18 hp from nowhere
The October 2026 bump to 528 hp came with no explanation and no change to the 0-60 claim, and Tesla didn't say whether delivered cars get it.
05
It stops longer than the old one
MotorTrend's best 60-0 stop was 110 feet, 11 feet longer than the first Model 3 Performance on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
06
Tesla has no press office
MotorTrend tested three cars after Tesla first sent one on all-season tires, and noted it couldn't ask why: Tesla "doesn't employ a PR department."
07
Not a Plaid badge
The rear badge looks like the Plaid logo "but it's subtly different." A Plaid needs three motors; this car has two.
08
Understeer was quicker
With Track Mode's balance slider, MotorTrend set its best figure-eight lap with "a decent amount of understeer selected," not oversteer.
09
The old one cost more
MotorTrend says its first test car cost $10,000 more than today's, "the equivalent of $86,000 today" after inflation, and was slower.
Its neighbors on the strip
In our quarter-mile model the Model 3 Performance finishes 19th of 21, on the 11.0 s at 125 mph that Car and Driver and MotorTrend recorded. The car just quicker and the car just slower:
_Auto_Zuerich_2025_DSC_3300.jpg){kind=link}
Questions people ask
How fast is the Tesla Model 3 Performance from 0 to 60 mph?
Tesla claims 2.9 seconds with the first foot of rollout subtracted. Car and Driver and MotorTrend, which time the same way, both recorded 2.8 seconds. Edmunds, which times from a dead stop, recorded 3.0 seconds.
What is the Model 3 Performance's quarter-mile time?
Tesla doesn't publish one. Car and Driver recorded 11.0 seconds at 125 mph, MotorTrend 11.0 seconds at 125.2 mph on the optional summer tires, and Edmunds 11.0 seconds at 123.7 mph. An owner ran 10.65 seconds at 128 mph with the passenger seats removed.
What is the top speed of the Model 3 Performance?
Tesla claims 163 mph. We found no independent top-speed run.
How much horsepower does the 2026 Model 3 Performance have?
Tesla raised the US rating from 510 hp to 528 hp in October 2026 without changing the 2.9 second 0-60 claim. Cars sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are rated at 460 hp.
How much does the Tesla Model 3 Performance cost?
$54,990 in the US, or $56,380 with the $1,390 destination fee, as of October 2026. The $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended for cars acquired after September 30, 2025.
What is the Model 3 Performance's range?
Tesla rates it at 316 miles from October 2026, up from 309. MotorTrend got 265 miles driving at a steady 70 mph.
Labels, sources and credits
Labels. Claimed: Tesla or another maker said it. Recorded: timed on an actual run: an instrumented test, a certified or verified record run, or a maker's own pass on a drag strip's timing system, with the tester, place and conditions named. Converted: a maker's 0-100 km/h (62.1 mph) claim converted to 0-60 mph. Verified: an official body. Reported: press reporting we couldn't trace to a primary source. Derived: our arithmetic from published data, or a named tester's. Estimate: modeled for our race because no published figure exists. Both are explained in the methodology guide. Race figures come from the lineup in our quarter-mile simulator, which uses Tesla's 2.9 s and the 11.0 s at 125 mph that Car and Driver recorded; MotorTrend's matching run trapped at 125.2 mph. The cars hub lists every car in it, with a profile for each as they're published. Sources disagree on torque (554 lb-ft from MotorTrend and Car and Driver, 546 to 547 lb-ft from others) and on price, which some outlets quote with the $1,390 destination fee or the $250 order fee added.
- Tesla, Model 3 specifications and footnotes, read October 25, 2026
- Car and Driver, instrumented test, October 18, 2024
- MotorTrend, 2026 Model 3 Performance first test, updated August 19, 2026
- Edmunds, long-term road test
- Electrek on the October 2026 update, and TechCrunch on the April 2024 launch
- Top Gear, first drive, April 23, 2024, and Road & Track, November 15, 2024
- InsideEVs on Hagerty's drag race and track battle
- The Car Guide on Tesla's chassis and aero claims, April 23, 2024
- The Drive on the 2018 Model 3 Performance
Images. Red Model 3 Performance photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; our edit is shared under the same license. Studio views are our own generated illustrations, not Tesla photography or design data, and so is the hero image. None are Tesla photos.