Several months on from the unveiling of the Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ facelift, a higher-performance variant of the model from the American EV maker has been seen wearing camouflage, parked at a Tesla Supercharger location in Santa Monica, California in the United States, as posted to Reddit and X.
The upcoming variant of the EV that is already on sale in Malaysia can be seen in these images to feature a sportier front seat design, where the headrests appear to be integrated into the seat backs, as on bucket seats in other cars with a sporty slant. This is likely to be the upcoming Model 3 Performance, which as its name suggests, will be a more potent version of the brand’s sedan EV model.
The upcoming Model 3 Performance facelift will also come with a revised exterior to differentiate it from other Model 3 variants, namely with a deeper front intake and restyled splitter with ridges above the lower edge. Rolling stock is likely to be different for the Model 3 Performance, too, whereas the existing range in Malaysia gets either the 18-inch ‘Photon’ wheels or 19-inch ‘Nova’ wheels.
According to Car Expert, Tesla director of vehicle programmes Daniel Ho mentioned that the Model 3 Performance would return in the first half of 2024. In addition to the changes to its exterior and interior as are visible here, there will also be upgraded brake and suspension components, the Australian site wrote.
The Performance variant of the previous iteration of the Model 3 featured a Track Mode for its dual-motor powertrain that is able to send a 100% torque bias to either the front or rear axle, aiming to provide the necessary rotation when turning through a corner or bend.
Looking at the previous version of the Model 3 Performance as a guide – which does 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.3 seconds and a 155 mph (249.4 km/h) top speed – the upcoming version based on the ‘Highland’ facelift should gain considerably on the current car’s performance stats in Long Range AWD guise, which offers a claimed 6.1 second sprint from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h), and a 201 km/h top speed.
White bucket seats confirmed in the new Model 3 Performance! 🔥🔥
Seen today in Santa Monica by Reddit u/Pristine_Floor7545 pic.twitter.com/SeOj35ia34
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) February 19, 2024
GALLERY: 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland Long Range AWD in Malaysia
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Wrong info on the sprint numbers for current perf n LR in the article.
Yup. Previous Model 3 Performance has been tested by multiple magazines to sprint to 60mph in 3.3 seconds. This new one will be quicker still.
If really “performance” they should have replaced that heavy glass roof with a lighter metal. That way at least can consider buying here since it won’t burn your scalp like the regular models.
Leng – not sure youve ever been in a Tesla. The roof doesnt burn your scalp. Ive been driving them for 3 years now. Deeply tinted with UVA/UVB proctected. Zero burn.
When I said “burn” I didn’t actually mean it would burn your hair, but was referring the heat let in. I”ve sat in the new M3LR. The owner also complained about the heat let in from the top of the car during sunny days and was waiting for Tesla to release that roof sunshade cover. Heat from glass roof and high tyre noise from the Hancooks were his primary complaints.