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Tesla Model 3 is undefeated vs the Porsche Taycan Turbo S in Japan’s EV Grand Prix

Credit: JEVRA/YouTube

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4 years ago

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Back when the Porsche Taycan was unveiled, Elon Musk remarked that the Tesla Model 3 Performance would probably win against the German all-electric sports car in an extended race. The CEO’s statement was bold, and it attracted its own fair share of skepticism. Porsche, after all, has tuned the Taycan in the Nürburgring, and the company’s vehicles are known for being monsters on the track. 

Teslas, on the other hand, are known for their strong drag race performance. But on the track, even the company’s flagship vehicle then, the Model S Performance, tended to overheat and throttle its power as the race went on. This issue has since been addressed with the Model S Plaid, of course, but back then, a claim such as the one Musk made — even if the Model 3 Performance was equipped with Track Mode — was very bold. 

The ongoing 2021 All-Japan EV Grand Prix Series is steadily proving Elon Musk right. Fresh off the Model 3’s stellar performance in the 2020 Grand Prix, the 2021 series’ EV-1 class was unsurprisingly filled with numerous Model 3s. But this year, the Japan Electric Vehicle Race Association (JEVRA) opted to throw a dark horse of sorts in the Grand Prix — the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. With an output of 560 kW, the Taycan Turbo S was the big dog of this year’s series, exceeding the Tesla Model 3’s output by 200 kW. 

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S debuted strongly in the Grand Prix’s first round at the Fuji Speedway, breaking away from the competition in the event’s initial laps. The entire race spanned 55 km (34 miles), and for the first half, the Taycan Turbo S absolutely dominated. A Tesla Model 3 Performance with Unplugged Performance parts from Team Taisan tailed the German sports car, but it was still a few seconds behind, losing to the German sports car in the straights. Yet midway through the race, which incidentally coincided with the length of the Nurburgring, the Taycan Turbo S lost significant power, allowing the Tesla Model 3 Performance to overtake it and win the event. 

In an interview after the race, the Taycan Turbo S driver described his experience. According to the racer, the all-electric sports car was amazing for about the length of the Nürburgring, but beyond that point, the vehicle’s power loss was significant. He then noted that he and his team at Gulf Racing would do what they can to mitigate the Taycan Turbo S’ power loss issues. 

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“I opened the window of the very fun electric racing world. I think we still need more and more technological innovation. I think it was a very disappointing result for Porsche fans. I think Porsche did it until they ran the Nürburgring. Beyond that, Porsche has not yet been able to set up for the world beyond 25 km. This is a fact, so it will be improved more and more from now on. I’m sure RS will come out after Turbo S. I want them to send information to Weissach and set it up. We (will) also consider some measures. Thank you,” the driver said.  

The second round of the 2021 All-Japan EV Grand Prix was held at the Sodegaura Forest Raceway, and the results were much of the same. The Taycan dominated the first ten laps of the 23-lap, 55-km race, but on the 11th lap, the vehicle lost power once more. This allowed two Tesla Model 3s — one with Unplugged Performance parts and another fitted with Mountain Pass Performance parts — to overtake the Taycan Turbo S in dramatic fashion. The rest of the race was quite shocking, as every Tesla Model 3, including one that seemed to be nearly stock, overtook the Taycan Turbo S. 

By the end of the race, Team Taisan’s Tesla Model 3 with Unplugged Performance parts stood in first place, followed by the other four Model 3s in the event. The Porsche Taycan Turbo S, due to its throttling issue, came in at 6th place. Possibly due to these results, the Gulf Racing team adopted a new strategy for the Grand Prix’s third round, which was held last month at the Tsukuba Circuit. 

The 2021 All-Japan EV Grand Prix Series’ third round was another 55 km race, and it involved 12 laps around the famous racetrack. This time around, Gulf Racing took its time with the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, pacing itself instead of accelerating like a bat out of hell from the start of the race. This proved quite useful, as the vehicle lasted longer than in the previous two rounds. However, the seemingly inevitable power loss issue emerged once more at the 10th lap. 

Because of this, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S never managed to catch Team Taisan’s Model 3 with Unplugged Performance parts, which ended the race in first place once more. This marked the 100th career victory for Yasutsune “Ricky” Chiba, the founder of Team Taisan, as well as Unplugged Performance, whose Tesla tuning capabilities are becoming more and more recognized. Following the Unplugged Model 3 were six other Teslas, one of them being from Gulf Racing. 

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The 2021 All-Japan EV Grand Prix’s fourth round was recently held at the Sugo International Racing Course. Similar to the other races, the event was a 55-km track race over 16 laps. Team Taisan’s Tesla Model 3 with Unplugged Performance parts proved undefeated by winning the race once more. While the JEVRA has not uploaded a video of the 2020 EV Grand Prix’s fourth round yet, results published in the event’s official website note that the Gulf Racing and its Porsche Taycan Turbo S did not race. 

What is rather remarkable is that video feeds from the Model 3s in the races showed that the vehicles’ batteries eventually heated up as well, which meant that for the latter laps, even the Teslas were throttled to some degree. Yet despite these, the Model 3s were still able to soundly beat the Taycan Turbo S, suggesting that Porsche’s power reduction was more prominent than those experienced by its more humble, more affordable competitors.

Watch the first three rounds of the 2021 All-Japan EV Grand Prix in the videos below. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

2 weeks ago

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March 6, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

2 months ago

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January 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

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January 14, 2025

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Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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