

News
Tesla Model 3 duels the Porsche Taycan Turbo S in track race–with surprising results
The Tesla Model 3 is starting to become a popular vehicle for track enthusiasts in Japan. In the recently held All Japan EV Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway in Oyama, the event’s flagship EV-1 category featured five Model 3s from several different teams. But this time around, the event also hosted a new, formidable electric car—the 560 KW Porsche Taycan Turbo S.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo S is a powerhouse all-electric sports car that was bred on the cruel turns of the Nurburgring. As such, the organizers of the All-Japan EV Grand Prix were quite excited about the vehicle. The Taycan Turbo S was deployed by the GULF Racing Team, which also had a Model 3 in the race. Other Teslas in the event included a pair of modified Model 3s from Team Taisan, which were partially modified with parts from aftermarket EV company Unplugged Performance.
The exact modifications to the Porsche Taycan Turbo S from GULF Racing were not disclosed on the All Japan EV Grand Prix’s program, though racers who participated in the event noted that the German track monster was fitted with Hoosier R7 tires. And for all intents and purposes, the Taycan did perform very well, recording the fastest lap in the race at 1:55.885 and an average speed of 141.751 km/h (88.079 mph).
But surprisingly enough, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S did not take the overall win of the day. That honor went to one of Team Taisan’s partially modified Tesla Model 3s. Interestingly enough, Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Schaffer noted that Team Taisan’s Model 3 actually had fewer aerodynamic mods due to Japan’s race regulations. But despite this, the Model 3 came out as the overall winner in the All Japan EV Grand Prix’s EV-1 segment, with a total lap time of 24:29.801 and an average speed of 133.370 km/h (82.872 mph).
The fastest lap was set by Taycan at 1'54.882, but slowed down at the end of the 5th lap. Taycan drove the Nurburgring distance in 5 laps at Fuji. pic.twitter.com/9tWgfl62T0
— あまりりりりす (@Amaririlyllis) April 12, 2021
Particularly interesting is that the Tesla Model 3s practically dominated the event. Following Team Taisan’s partially modified Model 3 were three other Teslas, all of which performed very well. The Porsche Taycan Turbo S came in 5th place with a total lap time of 25:30.408 and an average speed of 128.088 km/h (79.590 mph), about one minute behind Team Taisan’s Model 3.
The Model 3 may be Tesla’s entry-level car, but the midsize sedan has a lot of bite. And thanks to its track capability, it is arguably the most fun vehicle to drive among Tesla’s existing lineup. That is, at least, until Tesla releases the Model S Plaid and Model S Plaid+, both of which were also tested in the unforgiving turns of the Nurburgring.
Check out the All Japan EV Grand Prix’s program in the video below.
EV2021 r1 Program by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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News
Tesla is already giving Robotaxi privileges hours after opening public app
This morning, Tesla launched the app in the Apple Store, giving iOS users the ability to download and join a waitlist in hopes of gaining access.

Tesla is already giving Robotaxi privileges to those who downloaded the app and joined its waitlist just hours after it launched in the United States.
As the Robotaxi platform has been operating in Austin for several months, Tesla is now allowing the general public to download its app and call for a driverless ride in the city.
Tesla Robotaxi makes major expansion with official public app launch
The company previously sent invitations to select media outlets and Tesla influencers, seeking initial feedback on the performance of the Robotaxi platform.
There have been positive reviews, but, as with any Beta program, some mishaps have also occurred, although none have been significant.
As of the writing of this article, the City of Austin only lists one incident involving a Tesla Robotaxi, noting it as a “Safety Concern,” but not an accident or collision.
This morning, Tesla launched the app in the Apple Store, giving iOS users the ability to download and join a waitlist in hopes of gaining access.
Tesla is already granting Robotaxi access to several of those who have downloaded the app and gotten on the waitlist early:
Been getting a lot of messages from people who downloaded Tesla’s new Robtoaxi app last night and already have access to the company’s robotaxi and ride-hailing services. pic.twitter.com/xgbki1D3Lw
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 4, 2025
With the launch of the public app, we were not too sure how soon Tesla would be able to initiate bringing more riders into the Robotaxi program. The immediate admittance for some riders just hours after the launch is a big positive and is surely a sign of strength for Tesla and its Robotaxi program.
What many will look for moving forward is the expansion of the geofence, which does not seem like a problem, as Tesla has already managed to do this on three occasions. The most recent expansion has expanded the service area to approximately 190 square miles.
People will also look for evidence of fleet expansion, a concern that has been a concern for many, especially since Tesla has not been completely transparent about it. They have revealed a recent service fleet growth of 50 percent, but there has been no specific number of vehicles mentioned.
News
Tesla explains why Robotaxis now have safety monitors in the driver’s seat
The update to Austin’s safety monitors became a point of interest among Tesla watchers on social media.

Tesla has provided an explanation about the presence of safety monitors in the driver’s seat of its autonomous Robotaxi units.
The autonomous ride-hailing service is currently being deployed in Austin and the Bay Area, with more cities across the United States expected to gain access to the service later this year.
Safety Monitors
When Tesla launched its initial Robotaxi program in Austin, the company made headlines for operating vehicles without a human in the driver’s seat. Even with this setup, however, Tesla still had safety monitors in the passenger seat of the Robotaxis. The safety monitors, which do not interact with passengers, have been observed to report issues and other behaviors from the autonomous vehicles in real time.
Safety monitors on the driver’s seat were also employed in the service’s Bay Area rollout, though numerous members of the EV community speculated that this was likely done to meet regulations in California. However, with the expansion of the Austin geofence, riders in Tesla’s Robotaxis observed that the safety monitors in the city have been moved to the driver’s seat as well.
Tesla’s explanation
The update to Austin’s safety monitors became a point of interest among Tesla watchers on social media. Longtime FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog, for one, speculated that the move might be due to Texas’ new regulations for autonomous vehicles, which took effect recently. Interestingly enough, the official Tesla Robotaxi account on X responded to the FSD tester, providing an explanation behind the safety monitor’s move to the driver’s seat.
“Safety monitors are only in the driver’s seat for trips that involve highway driving, as a self-imposed cautious first step toward expanding to highways,” the Tesla Robotaxi account noted.
Tesla has been extremely cautious with its autonomous driving program, particularly with the rollout of its Robotaxi service, which use Unsupervised FSD. This is quite understandable considering the negative media slant that Tesla is consistently subjected to, which could very well result in minute incidents or mistakes by Robotaxis being blown out of proportion.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company begins hiring for Nashville’s Music City Loop
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expressed strong support for the project.

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has started recruitment efforts for the Music City Loop, an underground tunnel system designed to link downtown Nashville with Nashville International Airport.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expressed strong support for the project, describing it as a cost-free alternative to traditional mass transit systems that could ease traffic congestion in the city. Initial digging began in mid-August, with visible progress reported by September 1, as noted in a WKRN report.
Job creation and project scope
The Boring Company is currently seeking engineers, electricians, mechanics, and operations coordinators as part of its hiring drive for the Music City Loop in Nashville. Gov. Lee emphasized that unlike large-scale transit projects that typically cost billions, the tunnel system will not burden taxpayers.
“We’ve been trying to find ways, Metro Nashville has in particular, to develop transit in the city for a long time. It costs billions and billions of dollars to build out transit systems. We now have an opportunity to have a transit system that costs the taxpayers nothing,” Lee said, calling the effort the fast lane to the city’s future.
The Music City Loop aims to provide a quick and efficient link between the city center and the airport, similar to The Boring Company’s other tunnel projects like the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop. Officials have praised the company for cooperating with state permitting and regulatory requirements, suggesting that the Nashville Loop project is advancing in line with established processes.
Community reactions and concerns
While officials are optimistic, community response has been mixed. Some residents have raised concerns about the speed of approval and a lack of public discussion before construction began.
Nashville resident Taylor John cited environmental impacts and worries that the tunnel could primarily serve tourists rather than local commuters. “I have a lot of concerns, first of all, by how fast this decision was made, I don’t think there was a lot of discussion from the members of the community before this decision was made. It’s going to impact us,” the resident stated.
Others, however, see the project as an innovative leap forward. “There’s a whole untapped potential underneath our feet,” resident Nathaniel Lehrer stated. “Anything that can save time when picking up family or friends or you need to catch a flight, it’d be an awesome option to have.”
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