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Tesla Model 3 makes BMW racer squeal in delight while riding shotgun in hot lap

A Tesla Model 3 at the Laguna Seca Raceway. (Photo: Doug Makishima)

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BMW enthusiast and AR-G Motorsports boss Daniel Rose had spent a great weekend at the Laguna Seca Raceway, with his team proving victorious at the United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC). After the event, one of his AR-G BMW M3 race car drivers, Doug Makishima, decided to take his personal Tesla Model 3 Performance for a couple of laps around the track. Just for fun, he invited Rose to ride shotgun.

After intense driving sessions in the team’s racecars, Makishima and Rose’s lap using the Model 3 Performance was supposed to be a lighthearted, fun lap. The Model 3 owner even fired up the electric car’s music. And then the Tesla shot off the line, and before he knew it, the seasoned BMW enthusiast and motorsports boss felt himself getting pushed back into his seat. As the Model 3 Performance smoothly glided and accelerated in full force out of a curve, Rose started laughing. No, squealing is the more accurate word, as he graciously noted in a later Facebook comment. 

A Tesla Model 3 at the Laguna Seca Raceway. (Photo: Doug Makishima)

Over the course of the Tesla Model 3 Performance’s two laps around the track, Rose sounded almost as if he was in a roller coaster — just having fun with the car’s insane acceleration and quickness, and marveling at how planted the Model 3 was despite its weight. As could be seen in the video, both driver and passenger had a grand time ripping through the track. Rose’s wife, who later viewed the video, even commented that she has never heard her husband react that positively to a vehicle before. 

Being racecar drivers, the two men actually ended up setting a new record for stock electric cars in Laguna Seca. Prior to the run, the record for a stock EV in the course was 1:46.8. Makishima and Rose recorded 1:46.1 and a 1:46.5 in the Model 3 Performance, with a passenger, and with the music on. What is quite remarkable is that the two men managed an impressive lap with a bone stock vehicle. The Model 3 Performance had OEM tires, and its tire pressure wasn’t even adjusted for closed circuit driving. Since the run was conducted late, the temperature on the track was also lower than preferred. The vehicle did not run into problems either, save for a brake temperature warning. 

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Quite interestingly, Makishima’s winning run in his custom-built AR-G BMW M3 racecar was tagged at 1:37.9 in the USTCC’s Super Touring (ST) class. That’s a hair slower than the time set by a Tesla Model 3 Performance with upgraded brakes and suspension that was driven by Mountain Pass Performance owner Sasha Anis, which completed a lap in 1:37.5. Granted, the record-setting Model 3 Performance was fitted with slick tires while Makishima’s AR-G BMW M3 racecar was not, but the performance of the two vehicles seemed to be incredibly close.

It appears that Elon Musk was not kidding when he said that Teslas are, beyond being incredibly safe and well-designed vehicles, instruments of fun.

Watch a longtime BMW enthusiast and racer experience the Tesla Model 3 Performance around the track in the video below. Please do play the video with the sound on (It’s really worth it).

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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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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.

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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

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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

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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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