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Nimble Model 3 Performance defeats Porsche 911 GT3 in autocross racing

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This is not the usual drag race where the car’s ability is measured solely by how quick off the line it launches or how fast it reaches top speed etc. etc. — an autocross race gives us insight into a car’s handling agility and consistency in lap completion timings.

Although the Porsche 911 GT3 is built for performance racing from the ground up, the Tesla Model 3 compact electric sedan beats it in its own game — the 911 GT3 is 438 kg (1,547 lbs) lighter than the Model 3 Performance but even this edge couldn’t give it a win in a single lap out of three.

After the recent $2,000 price drop of the Tesla Model 3, one can buy three Model 3s for the price of a Porsche 911 GT3 and still perform better on a race track with a smile, let’s see a price and performance spec comparison summary of both cars before jumping to the video, surely this data will make the race more interesting to watch.

Options/FeaturesTesla Model 3 PerformancePorsche 911 GT3
Starting price (MSRP)$54,990$188,550
DrivetrainAll Wheel Drive (AWD)Rear Wheel Drive
Power490 hp500 hp
Torque660 Nm (Instant)460 Nm
Curb Weight1,847 kg (4,702 lbs)1,413 kg (3,155 lbs)
0-100 km/h3.4 secs (source: Tesla Canada)3.9 secs (source: Porsche)
Top Speed162 mph (261 km/h)198.8 mph (320 km/h)
TransmissionSingle-speed6-speed GT sports manual transmission
CO 2 EmissionsZero290 g/km
Table 1.1: Tesla Model 3 Performance vs. Porsche 911 GT3 specs and price comparison (Data: Tesla Inc./Porsche AG).
Tip: Jump to 3:00 for the race.

Lap Times / Results:

#Tesla Model 3 PerformancePorsche 911 GT3
156.6 secs68.0 secs (driver fault)
256.0 secs58.0 secs
355.1 secs57.0 secs

Tesla Model 3 Performance’s performance stats are almost always consistent, this has also been seen in drag race results in the past, crunching out this much consistency out of an internal combustion engine (ICE) car is pretty much impossible.

Looking at the video above I am not sure if the Model 3 driver activated the ‘Track Mode’ but we can safely assume it was ON as the DragTimes host Brooks Weisblat is an experienced Tesla owner and enthusiast, whatever be the case, the Model 3 Performance totally crushed the 911 GT3 in autocross racing.

Being a native German automotive company, Porsche now has to re-think their future strategy since the Gigafactory Berlin is on a fast track of development and the German government is keen on enforcing more and more emissions standards in the near future, only the super-expensive Porsche Taycan will not be good enough to rival Tesla — the Tri-Motor Plaid Tesla Model S might get the attention of the most loyal Porsche fanboys even.

Former Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg arranged a drag race of the Tesla Model 3 Performance vs. Porsche 911 GT2 RS and to everyone’s shock, the Model 3 won that race and it’s not the first time a Model 3 is facing a Porsche 911, they both drag raced earlier this year in the UK.

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By Iqtidar Ali

Iqtidar has been writing about Tesla, Elon Musk, and EVs for more than 3 years on XAutoWorld.com, many of his articles have been republished on CleanTechnica and InsideEVs, maintains a healthy relationship with the Tesla community across the Social Media sphere. You can reach him on Twitter @IqtidarAlii