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Tesla Model 3 takes on the Nurburgring, approaches Porsche Taycan-level lap time
Back in August 2019, Porsche made headlines when it revealed that its all-electric Taycan Turbo had been able to complete a lap around the Nürburgring in 7 minutes 42 seconds, well below the company’s target time of sub-8 minutes. The feat was celebrated by the EV community, and even Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who poked fun at the vehicle’s “Turbo” moniker, stated that the Taycan “does seem like a good car.” Musk added that the Taycan Turbo’s “Nürburgring track time is great.”
The Porsche Taycan Turbo’s 7:42 lap around the Nürburgring was widely celebrated because very few production electric cars are capable of performing at optimum around the unforgiving nearly-13-mile track. The Nürburgring is dubbed the “Green Hell” for a reason, and one of these is that it is a track that has the potential to take its toll on both drivers and cars alike. It was then cause for celebration when Porsche, with its decades of racing experience, finally proved that even production EVs could run an impressive lap around the Nürburgring.
What is rather remarkable is that a Tesla Model 3 Performance, a vehicle that quite literally costs a fraction of the Taycan Turbo, seems to be on track to close in on the Taycan Turbo’s lap. During a run around the Nürburgring with traffic and on wet pavement, the Tesla Model 3 Performance was able to complete a lap (bridge-to-gantry) around the Nürburgring in 7:44. This was made possible by rather simple upgrades to the vehicle, such as better suspension and brakes.
Quite interestingly, the Model 3 Performance that ran a 7:44 in the Nürburgring was the same vehicle that made the rounds in the EV community back in September. Back then, the vehicle, which was partially modified, was driven around the Nürburgring by YouTube auto reviewer Misha Charoudin. That run, which became quite meme-worthy due to the reactions of the vehicle’s passenger, was completed in 8 minutes 10 seconds.
The vehicle has since been undergoing more improvements from Tesla tuning house Unplugged Performance. As noted by Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer, the Model 3 Performance had received some upgrades to its suspension, brakes, and wheels. And with these modifications, the Model 3 Performance took to the track once more with driver Luis Ramirez behind the wheel. The result was the all-electric sedan’s 7:44 lap with traffic and on wet pavement.
In a statement to Teslarati, Schaffer remarked that the Model 3 could probably beat the Taycan Turbo’s lap time with a street tune. At its full potential, the Unplugged CEO estimates that the Model 3 Performance may actually be capable of running a lap around the Green Hell in the 7:30 range. If that were to pass, it would most definitely be more difficult to dismiss the capabilities of electric vehicles in a racetrack. The Model 3, after all, is a reasonably-priced electric car, and even with its modifications included, very few vehicles in its price range could accomplish a 7:44 lap around the Nürburgring in similar conditions.
Here’s the Model 3 Performance’s previous 8:10 lap around the Green Hell.
News
Tesla counters Norway’s VAT hike with dedicated consumer bonus
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
Tesla has rolled out a price incentive in Norway, effectively offsetting a notable VAT increase that hit electric vehicle buyers at the start of 2026.
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
A “Tesla bonus”
Once the VAT increase kicked in at the start of 2026, Tesla Norway’s sales cooled almost immediately, as noted in a CarUp report. Tesla’s response was swift, with the electric vehicle maker rolling out what it calls a “Tesla bonus.”
This bonus effectively cuts prices by up to 50,000 kronor across eight model variants. All versions of the Tesla Model Y qualify for the incentive, along with most Tesla Model 3 trims, save for the base entry-level model.
This means that for Tesla Norway’s best-selling vehicles, the bonus effectively restores pricing to pre-VAT levels. This blunts the impact of the new tax and makes Tesla’s vehicle offerings competitive again in Europe’s most EV-saturated market.
Stabilizing demand
In addition to the “Tesla bonus,” the electric car maker is also offering a promotional interest rate for up to three years, with terms varying by model. The incentive applies to orders placed between January 9 and March 31, 2026, with delivery required by the end of the first quarter.
The stakes are high in Norway, where electric vehicles dominate new-car registrations. From the vehicles that were sold in 2025, 96% of new cars sold were fully electric. And from this number, Tesla and its Model Y made their dominance felt. This was highlighted by Geir Inge Stokke, director of OFV, who noted that Tesla was able to achieve its stellar results despite its small vehicle lineup.
“Taking almost 20% market share during a year with record-high new car sales is remarkable in itself. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla’s impact on the Norwegian market,” Stokke stated.
Elon Musk
SpaceX gains favor as Pentagon embraces Musk-style defense reform
The remarks highlighted Musk’s improving relationship with the White House, as well as SpaceX’s growing role in U.S. defense.
SpaceX emerged as a clear beneficiary of the Trump administration’s renewed push to accelerate military innovation, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth openly praised Elon Musk’s private space enterprise during a visit to the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas.
The remarks highlighted Musk’s improving relationship with the White House, as well as SpaceX’s growing role in U.S. defense.
Hegseth embraces Elon Musk’s pace
Speaking at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Brownsville, Texas, Hegseth criticized what he described as a “risk-averse culture” among traditional defense contractors and called for faster innovation modeled after Musk’s approach. He confirmed that the Department of Defense plans to integrate Musk’s Grok AI platform into Pentagon systems, which is part of the administration’s efforts to make the U.S. military an “AI-first warfighting force.”
Hegseth stated that the Pentagon intends to deploy AI models across both classified and unclassified networks, signaling a willingness to push past earlier efforts to limit military use of artificial intelligence. His comments aligned closely with President Donald Trump’s recent call for a $500 billion increase in defense spending, Bloomberg News noted. Trump has also warned major contractors that slower production and shareholder-focused practices could put future contracts at risk.
While Hegseth criticized legacy defense firms, SpaceX was held up as an example of how aggressive timelines, vertical integration, and iterative development could reshape defense strategies. “We need to be blunt here; we can no longer afford to wait a decade for our legacy prime contractors to deliver a perfect system. Winning requires a new playbook. Elon wrote it with his algorithm: question every requirement, delete the dumb ones and accelerate like hell,” Hegseth said.
SpaceX’s expanding defense role comes into focus
SpaceX has become one of the U.S. government’s most important aerospace partners. The company holds roughly $4 billion in NASA contracts to develop Starship into a lunar lander, while also serving as a key launch provider for sensitive national security payloads using its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
During the visit, Musk highlighted that his ambitions extend beyond defense contracts, reiterating long-term goals of interplanetary travel and eventual exploration beyond the solar system. Still, the optics of the event reinforced how closely SpaceX’s capabilities now align with U.S. strategic priorities.
The appearance also marked another step in Musk’s political rehabilitation after a public falling-out with the White House last year. Since leaving his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has gradually reengaged with the administration, reconnecting with U.S. President Donald Trump during slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s tribute and attending events at the White House. Trump’s also recently suggested that Starlink could help restore internet access in Iran.
Tesla has launched a new Model Y configuration in the “Premium” trim, and it comes with three highly requested features that have launched in markets outside of the U.S. and in other trims.
Tesla announced on Monday night that it has officially launched the Model Y Premium in a seven-seat configuration, which also comes standard with a 16″ touchscreen and black headliner, both of which are featured in the Model Y Performance trim.
The seven-seat configuration is highly requested by consumers and helps fill out the more spacious SUV offering that the lineup has missed outside of the Model X, which prices out many consumers. This new upgrade only costs $2,500 extra for all three features, bringing the cash price to $48,990.
This also comes with the larger 16” touchscreen! pic.twitter.com/aiAxWUTKZa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 13, 2026
The move to add the seven-seat configuration with the black headliner and additional screen size is a welcome addition, as many Tesla fans have asked the company to come out with an SUV with more seating capacity. Although it is not a full-size SUV, the additional seating will certainly attract some buyers with bigger families.
It appears the third row is slightly more spacious than the past iteration of the seven-seat Model Y, which was available in the previous design pre-Juniper:
Credit: Tesla
However, it definitely still appears to be pretty cramped in terms of legroom. It will definitely be a seating arrangement for smaller passengers, mostly reserved for children.
The other two upgrades are the black headliner, which was launched in other markets and in the Model Y Performance. Many owners have wanted this change, and Tesla listened, but is only offering it with the seven-seat configuration. It also has a larger 16″ touchscreen, also present in the Model Y Performance exclusively:
Credit: Tesla
It is a nice touch to add these highly requested features to the all-electric crossover, which was the best-selling vehicle in the world for the third consecutive year.
Tesla counters Norway’s VAT hike with dedicated consumer bonus
SpaceX gains favor as Pentagon embraces Musk-style defense reform
