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First close look at Tesla Model 3 Performance with white interior on delivery lot
As Tesla begins the rollout of the Model 3 Performance as designated test drive units to some of its showrooms, sightings of the dual motor, high-performance variant of the electric car have started emerging.
Over the past weekend, reports from members of the Tesla community indicated that the Model 3 Performance had been delivered to some of Tesla’s locations, most notably the Buena Park, CA center. Twitter user Larry Lach, for one, noted in his sighting that there were at least five units of the Model 3 Performance in the Buena Park facility. Other reports, particularly that of r/TeslaMotors subreddit member u/TheHalfChubPrince, shared additional details of the vehicle, such as its economy rating of 116 MPGe. Images shared online further showcased the vehicle’s Premium white interior and its aluminum performance pedals, as well as its 20″ Sport Wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 235/35/ZR20 tires and red performance brake calipers.
- A Model 3 Performance spotted in the wild. [Credit: ocean90277/Twitter]
- A Model 3 Performance ‘s 20-inch Sport Wheels and red brake calipers. [Credit: ocean90277/Twitter]
- A Model 3 Performance spotted in the wild. [Credit: Larry Lach/Twitter]
Since Tesla managed to hit its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3 per week during the final week of the second quarter, the company has stopped its anti-selling initiatives for the vehicle and opened up its Model 3 online configurator to all North American customers. In addition, Elon Musk doubled down on Twitter, reiterating that roughly 100 Dual Motor Model 3 Performance vehicles have been manufactured and will be utilized as test drive units. Tesla uploaded a video of the vehicle’s capabilities while skidpad testing as well. Not long after this, sightings of the car in the Fremont factory’s lot were posted by RS Metrics on Twitter, showing what appears to be the Model 3 Performance fleet that Musk mentioned being prepared for shipping.
Both Elon Musk and Tesla’s official Twitter account further teased several features of the vehicle, such as it upgraded brake package comprised of an upgraded Brembo brake system that includes lightweight two-piece rotors and larger front rotors. The suspension of the electric car was also teased heavily by Musk, who stated that the compact electric car would feature a lower ride height thanks to a tuned suspension system.
- The Model 3 Peformance’s center touchscreen. [Credit: Anthony Congiundi/Twitter]
- The Model 3 Performance’s white interior. [Credit: @Swxnky/Twitter]
- The Model 3 Performance’s white interior. [Credit: @Swxnky/Twitter]
- The Model 3 Performance’s white interior. [Credit: @Swxnky/Twitter]
- The Model 3 Performance’s performance pedals. [Credit: ocean90277/Twitter]
Over the past few months, the Model 3 has proved itself as a car that can handle the track, unlike its larger sibling, the Model S, which remains prone to heating issues after a few hot laps. With upgraded brakes and suspension, the all-electric sedan becomes a very capable track car. A race-modified Model 3 recently took first place in its category at the 2018 Canadian Sport Compact Series Time Attack series, beating out a Porsche Boxter in the process.
The Model 3 Performance is capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, boasts a top speed of 155 mph and capable of 310 miles of driving per single charge. With a price of $64,000 before options, the Model 3 Performance provides interested electric car buyers with a high-performance vehicle that is quite reasonably priced. Including Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, the vehicle reaches a price of $80,000, which is significantly higher than Tesla’s originally promised $35,000 base model. Still, a top-of-the-line all-wheel drive Model 3 is considerably more affordable than comparable vehicles like the BMW M3, which costs $91,759 fully loaded, and the $106,000 Mercedes AMG C 63 S Coupe.
Watch a video walkaround of the Model 3 Performance in the Buena Park, CA spotted by Tesla owner Mark Benton below. As noted by Mark in his video, the Model 3 Performance with VIN55394 in Buena Park did not have its carbon fiber spoiler and its Dual Motor badge installed as of yet. These accents are set to be installed on the vehicle after delivery.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends rivals dire warning about Full Self-Driving
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed today on the social media platform X that legacy automakers, such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, do not want to license the company’s Full Self-Driving suite, at least not without a long list of their own terms.
“I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy,” Musk said on X. “When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless.”
I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy …
When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless. 🤷♂️
🦕 🦕
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2025
Musk made the remark in response to a note we wrote about earlier today from Melius Research, in which analyst Rob Wertheimer said, “Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is,” in terms of autonomy and self-driving development.
Wertheimer believes there are hundreds of billions of dollars in value headed toward Tesla’s way because of its prowess with FSD.
A few years ago, Musk first remarked that Tesla was in early talks with one legacy automaker regarding licensing Full Self-Driving for its vehicles. Tesla never confirmed which company it was, but given Musk’s ongoing talks with Ford CEO Jim Farley at the time, it seemed the Detroit-based automaker was the likely suspect.
Tesla’s Elon Musk reiterates FSD licensing offer for other automakers
Ford has been perhaps the most aggressive legacy automaker in terms of its EV efforts, but it recently scaled back its electric offensive due to profitability issues and weak demand. It simply was not making enough vehicles, nor selling the volume needed to turn a profit.
Musk truly believes that many of the companies that turn their backs on FSD now will suffer in the future, especially considering the increased chance it could be a parallel to what has happened with EV efforts for many of these companies.
Unfortunately, they got started too late and are now playing catch-up with Tesla, XPeng, BYD, and the other dominating forces in EVs across the globe.
News
Tesla backtracks on strange Nav feature after numerous complaints
Tesla is backtracking on a strange adjustment it made to its in-car Navigation feature after numerous complaints from owners convinced the company to make a change.
Tesla’s in-car Navigation is catered to its vehicles, as it routes Supercharging stops and preps your vehicle for charging with preconditioning. It is also very intuitive, and features other things like weather radar and a detailed map outlining points of interest.
However, a recent change to the Navigation by Tesla did not go unnoticed, and owners were really upset about it.
For trips that required multiple Supercharger stops, Tesla decided to implement a naming change, which did not show the city or state of each charging stop. Instead, it just showed the business where the Supercharger was located, giving many owners an unwelcome surprise.
However, Tesla’s Director of Supercharging, Max de Zegher, admitted the update was a “big mistake on our end,” and made a change that rolled out within 24 hours:
The naming change should have happened at once, instead of in 2 sequential steps. That was a big miss on our end. We do listen to the community and we do course-correct fast. The accelerated fix rolled out last night. The Tesla App is updated and most in-car touchscreens should…
— Max (@MdeZegher) November 20, 2025
The lack of a name for the city where a Supercharging stop would be made caused some confusion for owners in the short term. Some drivers argued that it was more difficult to make stops at some familiar locations that were special to them. Others were not too keen on not knowing where they were going to be along their trip.
Tesla was quick to scramble to resolve this issue, and it did a great job of rolling it out in an expedited manner, as de Zegher said that most in-car touch screens would notice the fix within one day of the change being rolled out.
Additionally, there will be even more improvements in December, as Tesla plans to show the common name/amenity below the site name as well, which will give people a better idea of what to expect when they arrive at a Supercharger.
News
Dutch regulator RDW confirms Tesla FSD February 2026 target
The regulator emphasized that safety, not public pressure, will decide whether FSD receives authorization for use in Europe.
The Dutch vehicle authority RDW responded to Tesla’s recent updates about its efforts to bring Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Europe, confirming that February 2026 remains the target month for Tesla to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
While acknowledging the tentative schedule with Tesla, the regulator emphasized that safety, not public pressure, will decide whether FSD receives authorization for use in Europe.
RDW confirms 2026 target, warns Feb 2026 timeline is not guaranteed
In its response, which was posted on its official website, the RDW clarified that it does not disclose details about ongoing manufacturer applications due to competitive sensitivity. However, the agency confirmed that both parties have agreed on a February 2026 window during which Tesla is expected to show that FSD (Supervised) can meet required safety and compliance standards. Whether Tesla can satisfy those conditions within the timeline “remains to be seen,” RDW added.
RDW also directly addressed Tesla’s social media request encouraging drivers to contact the regulator to express support. While thanking those who already reached out, RDW asked the public to stop contacting them, noting these messages burden customer-service resources and have no influence on the approval process.
“In the message on X, Tesla calls on Tesla drivers to thank the RDW and to express their enthusiasm about this planning to us by contacting us. We thank everyone who has already done so, and would like to ask everyone not to contact us about this. It takes up unnecessary time for our customer service. Moreover, this will have no influence on whether or not the planning is met,” the RDW wrote.
The RDW shares insights on EU approval requirements
The RDW further outlined how new technology enters the European market when no existing legislation directly covers it. Under EU Regulation 2018/858, a manufacturer may seek an exemption for unregulated features such as advanced driver assistance systems. The process requires a Member State, in this case the Netherlands, to submit a formal request to the European Commission on the manufacturer’s behalf.
Approval then moves to a committee vote. A majority in favor would grant EU-wide authorization, allowing the technology across all Member States. If the vote fails, the exemption is valid only within the Netherlands, and individual countries must decide whether to accept it independently.
Before any exemption request can be filed, Tesla must complete a comprehensive type-approval process with the RDW, including controlled on-road testing. Provided that FSD Supervised passes these regulatory evaluations, the exemption could be submitted for broader EU consideration.







