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Watch Out: Tesla Model 3 Will Have Ludicrous Mode
The Model 3 could be the quickest Tesla ever
There could be a new king of the hill when it comes to being the quickest accelerating car in Tesla’s vehicle lineup if the latest tweet by Elon Musk holds true. When asked by @vigneshraju of Twitter on whether the Model 3 will have Ludicrous mode, Musk replied with a simple “of course”.
The remark has left many reservation owners across Twitter and forum groups to speculate on the type of battery, price, and performance improvement Ludicrous mode will bring to Tesla’s entry-level vehicle.
@vigneshraju of course
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2016
Ludicrous mode was first introduced as an optional hardware upgrade to the Model S P85D: an upgrade that would allow the battery to draw more current, from 1300 to 1500 amps, and allow the electric motors to temporarily produce more power. The end result is unrivaled acceleration capable of catapulting the Model S from 0 – 60 mph in a blistering 2.6 seconds and down the 1/4 mile at 10.9 seconds, according to tests conducted by Motor Trend.
What will this mean in terms of performance when Ludicrous mode is enabled on a presumably much lighter Model 3 with smaller battery pack? And more importantly, how will this upgrade impact the overall cost of the vehicle?
Price of Tesla Model 3 with Ludicrous Mode
Make no mistake that 400k reservations of the Model 3 is largely due to the fact that it has a low cost of entry. At $35k you’re buying proven electric vehicle technology, low cost of ownership (cost per mile), and brand prestige.
We know the base Model 3 will come standard in a rear wheel drive configuration, but add in dual motors – required in Tesla’s top of the line Performance models – electronically controlled air suspension (also required), and the optional rip-your-head-off Ludicrous mode upgrade, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to double the cost of the vehicle. After all the Ludicrous Speed Upgrade on the Model S and X alone costs $10k, and that’s on top of the additional price paid to upgrade to the flagship Performance variation.
All said and done, a fully loaded Model 3 could reach $70k and surpass the base price of the Model S. But that won’t stop 15% of Model 3 buyers from going Insane to Ludicrous.
Tesla Model 3 Ludicrous Mode Performance
We know Ludicrous Teslas are quick. We recently saw the 6,000 pound Model X SUV destroy a Ferrari in a test of acceleration, and we’ve even witnessed a Ludicrous-enabled P90D Model S sedan take on a Boeing 737 jet. But will Tesla allow its entry-level vehicle surpass the performance of an equally-equipped Model S or Model X? The answer is likely no.
Accelerating quickly requires power derived from the battery. Current and voltage affects the amount of power the inverter delivers to the electric motors. But because the Model 3 will likely have a smaller battery, in order to keep costs down, the voltage produced from a smaller battery pack is lower than that of a larger pack, resulting in less power.
The Model S 70D is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Assuming the Performance version of the Model 3 will have a tuned version of the 70D battery with higher voltage, combined with a lower overall vehicle curb weight than the Model S, it wouldn’t be surprising if we saw low 3 second 0-60 mph times. It’s still quicker than Elon’s favorite performance benchmark the McLaren F1, while leaving bragging rights to its older and more expensive siblings.
Tesla has evidently revealed which of its vehicle models will be the first to receive Starlink integration: the Cybercab.
Tesla’s Santana Row showroom now has a full-fledged display of the Cybercab, with an extensive bit of information hung around an exhibit that seems to reveal the vehicle’s newest feature: an integrated Starlink antenna that will enable secure and reliable internet access during trips.
Credit: @Starscream_SJC | X
Cybercab is geared toward autonomous ride-hailing for one or two passengers. The production units rolling off the lines at Gigafactory Texas are built without steering wheels or pedals, meaning when public rides begin, passengers will not need to interact with a human being or control the vehicle in any way outside of what appears on the center screen for their entertainment during the ride.
Tesla Santana Row will be reopening tomorrow with a full focus on self-driving. Everything in the showroom is about Robotaxi and Cybercab with stats and information about the technology. The Cybercab on display is the production model. pic.twitter.com/yIUYdOGFOp
— Shaun Cassidy (@Starscream_SJC) July 20, 2026
Along the display, Tesla wrote this message about Cybercab:
“Cybercab is built for autonomy. It has no steering wheel, no side mirrors, and no pedals. It goes where you tell it to go and how you want it to, so you can relax along the way. It is hyper aware and responsive to your surroundings, monitoring other drivers, responding to emergency vehicles, utilizing its expertise in the rarest scenarios to help keep you safe.”
Tesla has been teasing a potential Starlink integration for quite some time now. In December, the company hinted at potential Starlink internet terminal integration within its vehicles in a patent that described a vehicle roof assembly with integrated radio frequency (RF) transparency.
The company wrote in its patent application that a new roof design built with materials that differ from the standard metallic or glass elements used in today’s cars would allow it to integrate modern vehicular technologies, in particular, ones that require radio frequency transmission and reception.
Tesla suggested high-strength polymer blends, like Polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate.
This is the first time we’ve seen Tesla officially confirm the Starlink integration into the Cybercab. It’s not much of a surprise considering the company’s intention behind the Cybercab, which is to make travel autonomous.
Productivity will now be at a maximum during a work-related commute, while the center screen could be utilized for Netflix or potentially even live TV for those who are heading to dinner or to a fun activity.
SpaceX has updated its target for the thirteenth integrated flight test of Starship, aiming for as early as Thursday, July 23. The 90-minute launch window opens at 5:45 p.m. CT from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas.
The target flight was initially rescheduled for today, but SpaceX pushed it back again.
This latest adjustment follows an aborted attempt earlier in the week and reflects the iterative, rapid-development approach that has defined the Starship program. With the vehicle already stacked and ground teams making final preparations, the mission represents another step toward proving the full reusability of the world’s most powerful rocket system.
Now targeting to launch Starship’s thirteenth flight test as early as Thursday, July 23 → https://t.co/Rp7VwBzpWx pic.twitter.com/Y0YNzfc5zk
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 19, 2026
The original launch attempt on July 16 was scrubbed at T-0 when several Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster failed to ignite properly. The automatic abort system triggered just as the engines began their startup sequence, preventing liftoff.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that some engines did not start as expected, prompting the decision to replace two Raptors on Booster 20 to ensure reliability. The issue occurred despite a successful full-duration static fire earlier, highlighting the complexities of coordinating 33 engines under flight conditions.
This cautious approach underscores SpaceX’s commitment to safety amid an aggressive test cadence.
Flight 13 builds directly on the lessons from Flight 12 in May 2026. The Super Heavy booster’s primary goals include a successful liftoff, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and controlled splashdown in the Gulf of America.
Hardware and software modifications address the off-nominal flip and boostback burn problems from the prior flight, where propellant slosh and engine relight issues led to an uncontrolled impact.
For the Starship upper stage, objectives include deploying 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites, the first real payload of this type, performing a single Raptor engine relight in space, and executing a controlled entry, descent, and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Propulsion upgrades aim to improve engine-out capability after one vacuum Raptor was lost on Flight 12.
Additional test elements focus on heat shield performance. Six satellites carry cameras to image the tiles during flight, while white-painted tiles and upgraded attachments on flaps and the aft skirt will gather data for future reusability.
The FAA completed its mishap investigation into Flight 12 earlier this month, clearing the regulatory path.
This suborbital mission, the second with V3 vehicles, advances Starship toward operational missions, including potential crewed flights and support for NASA’s Artemis program. Success would mark significant progress in rapid reusability and satellite deployment from the massive system.
Elon Musk dismissed reports claiming SpaceX had placed a massive order for NVIDIA GPUs worth $52 billion. The denial came hours after Taiwanese media, citing unnamed industry sources, reported that SpaceX planned to acquire approximately 13,000 AI server racks, equating to roughly 1 million GB300 GPUs, from Foxconn.
Each rack was estimated at around $4 million, with deliveries potentially starting in late 2025.
The story suggested this would mark SpaceX’s first major foray into Foxconn-manufactured NVIDIA hardware, breaking from suppliers like Supermicro and Dell. Musk responded bluntly on X:
This is fake news
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2026
Despite the denial, the rumored scale aligns with SpaceX’s explosive growth in AI infrastructure. NVIDIA’s GB300 (successor to the GB200 NVL) racks deliver unprecedented performance for large-scale training and inference. A $52 billion commitment would dwarf most corporate AI budgets and provide the compute muscle needed for frontier models.
SpaceX already operates gigawatt-scale terrestrial clusters like Colossus in Memphis, Tennessee, and has monetized them aggressively through leasing deals.
SpaceX’s newest Starmind will make earth data centers obsolete
Major customers include Anthropic (paying ~$1.25 billion monthly for 220,000+ GPUs), Google (~$920 million monthly for 110,000 GPUs), and Reflection AI. These arrangements are projected to generate tens of billions in annual revenue, far outpacing traditional SpaceX businesses.
Such an investment would fuel internal AI efforts, particularly Grok models under the integrated SpaceXAI division, while supporting ambitious orbital data center plans. SpaceX envisions launching thousands of AI-optimized satellites powered by solar energy and cooled in space, bypassing terrestrial power and land constraints.
This “Starmind” constellation could position the company as a leader in space-based computing.
SpaceX as an Emerging AI Powerhouse
Once primarily known for reusable rockets and Starlink satellite internet, SpaceX has transformed into a multifaceted AI player.
The 2026 acquisition of xAI integrated Grok development directly into the company. Starlink’s low-latency global network complements massive compute clusters, enabling efficient data flow for training and serving AI models.
Musk has long argued that AI scaling demands solutions beyond Earth, citing things like real estate and electricity limits on the ground.
While the Foxconn deal may not be in the cards, SpaceX’s trajectory is continuing on the path of blending aerospace engineering with hyperscale AI to dominate both launches and intelligence infrastructure.
Tesla reveals first vehicle model to receive Starlink integration
SpaceX adjusts Starship Flight 13 test launch target date once again
