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Tesla Model 3 Performance nails consistent 3.3 second 0-60 mph runs in back-to-back tests
Tesla lists its Dual Motor Model 3 Performance with a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, but as acceleration tests of the car seem to suggest, the vehicle is actually faster than Tesla’s estimates. This was demonstrated recently by Tesla owner-enthusiast Erik Strait, better known as the host of YouTube’s DÆrik channel, as he performed back-to-back acceleration tests of the Model 3 Performance using a VBOX data logger.
The first VBOX stats of the Model 3 Performance’s 0-60 mph time was posted recently, but no video of the actual run was taken as per request of the car’s owner. A brief 0-60 run recorded with Dragy was posted a few days ago, but the vehicle in that video was equipped with Aero Wheels, which are optimized for range, not performance. Erik’s test was quite a bit different since the Model 3 Performance he drove was equipped with 20″ Performance Wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, which are part of Tesla’s $5,000 Performance Package.
Consistent with VBOX data shared by fellow Tesla owner-enthusiast Eli of My Tesla Adventure, DÆrik‘s acceleration test featured a consistent 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds. That’s 0.2 seconds faster than Tesla’s official performance listings for the vehicle.
A 3.3-second 0-60 mph time for the Model 3 Performance was actually teased by Elon Musk on Twitter, with the CEO stating that the electric car could have better acceleration if it gets fitted with stickier and thicker tires at the rear. Musk noted that thicker rear tires for the Model 3 Performance would make it possible to lower the vehicle’s 0-60 mph time to just 3.3 seconds. Erik’s recently uploaded video on YouTube is proof that 3.3 seconds is possible even when the vehicle is unmodified.
The Model 3 Performance has so far been getting rave reviews from veteran auto journalists. Dan Neil from the Wall Street Journal described the car as a “magnificent” piece of auto engineering that is “representative of the next step in the history of autos.” Kim Reynolds of MotorTrend, whose test drive of the vehicle was highlighted by a brief sprint on a freeway on-ramp, stated that “in maybe 120 wheel revolutions, a high-performance hierarchy has been rattled.” The auto veteran also stated that the “European marques perennially atop the sport sedan podium are about to have trapdoors release beneath them” with the arrival of the Model 3.
The Performance Model 3 might look practically identical to the car’s lower-specced variants, but the vehicle does have several tricks up its sleeve. Among these is a unique “Track Mode” beta feature exclusive to the Model 3 Performance (at least for now). In a statement to Road and Track, Michael Neumeyer, Manager of Chassis Controls for Tesla, stated that the Model 3 Performance’s Track Mode differs slightly from comparable features in other vehicles, which usually involve the disabling of traction control systems.
“Our Track Mode doesn’t disable features, it adds them,” Neumeyer said.
Tesla’s Track Mode is a mixture of tweaks and in-house programming that makes adjustments to the vehicle’s settings, including its dynamic control and regenerative braking. With the beta feature turned on, the Model 3 Performance becomes a car capable of maneuvers that are invaluable on the track, such as drifting and sharp changes in direction. The Model 3 Performance’s motors and battery use cooling circuits that are independent but linked as well. This means that as one component heats up, the car’s system shifts cooling capacity where it’s needed. With this approach, the Model 3 Performance becomes immune to the total performance shutdowns that happen in vehicles like the Model S P100D when temperatures spike.
Watch DÆrik‘s VBOX-recorded Model 3 Performance 0-60 mph run in the video below.
https://youtu.be/8P8DZKFUw3k
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI gains first access to Saudi supercluster with 600k Nvidia GPUs
The facility will deploy roughly 600,000 Nvidia GPUs, making it one of the world’s most notable superclusters.
A Saudi-backed developer is moving forward with one of the world’s largest AI data centers, and Elon Musk’s xAI will be its first customer. The project, unveiled at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., is being built by Humain, a company supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The facility will deploy roughly 600,000 Nvidia GPUs, making it one of the world’s most notable superclusters.
xAI secures priority access
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated that the planned data center marks a major leap not just for the region but for the global AI ecosystem as a whole. Huang joked about the sheer capacity of the build, emphasizing how unusual it is for a startup to receive infrastructure of such magnitude. The facility is designed to deliver 500 megawatts of Nvidia GPU power, placing it among the world’s largest AI-focused installations, as noted in a Benzinga report.
“We worked together to get this company started and off the ground and just got an incredible customer with Elon. Could you imagine a startup company, approximately $0 billion in revenues, now going to build a data center for Elon? 500 megawatts is gigantic. This company is off the charts right away,” Huang said.
Global Chipmakers Join Multi-Vendor Buildout To Enhance Compute Diversity
While Nvidia GPUs serve as the backbone of the first phase, Humain is preparing a diversified hardware stack. AMD will supply its Instinct MI450 accelerators, which could draw up to 1 gigawatt of power by 2030 as deployments ramp. Qualcomm will also contribute AI200 and AI250 data center processors, accounting for an additional 200 megawatts of compute capacity. Cisco will support the networking and infrastructure layer, helping knit the multi-chip architecture together.
Apart from confirming that xAI will be the upcoming supercluster’s first customer, Musk also joked about the rapid scaling needed to train increasingly large AI models. He joked that a theoretical expansion one thousand times larger of the upcoming supercluster “would be 8 bazillion, trillion dollars,” highlighting the playful exaggeration he often brings to discussions around extreme compute demand.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk debunks pay package and lip reader claims in double takedown
Musk’s quick debunks highlighted once more that X is an ideal platform for directly countering misinformation.
Elon Musk recently took to X to debunk some misinformation about his 2025 CEO performance award, as well as some comments he made during Donald Trump’s banquet in honor of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Musk’s quick debunks highlighted once more that X is an ideal platform for directly countering misinformation.
Musk’s pay package
Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO performance award was created as a path for him to gain a 25% stake in Tesla. It would also make him a trillionaire, provided that he manages to meet all of the performance award’s aggressive targets. This has not stopped critics from running with the apparent narrative that Musk will be getting the $1 trillion with utmost certainty, however.
This included the More Perfect Union account on X, which noted that “Elon Musk is set to make more than every U.S. elementary school teacher combined, according to the Washington Post.”
Musk responded to the pro-union amount’s post, highlighting that he has not earned any of his $2025 performance award so far. Musk also noted that those who believe he will be getting $1 trillion should invest in TSLA stock, as his compensation is tied to the company’s performance and growth. Investors who hold their TSLA until Musk achieves his full pay package would likely get notable returns.
Lip reader fail
Musk also debunked claims from the Daily Mail, which claimed that he made an “explosive” remark at Trump’s banquet for Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Citing observations from lip reader Nicola Hickling, the Mail claimed that Musk asked Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, “What is your opinion, is he a terrorist?” The publication also posted a video of Musk allegedly making the risqué comment on X.
Musk proceeded to correct the publication, stating that the lip reader’s observations were fake. Instead of asking the Pfizer CEO if the Saudi Prince was a terrorist, Musk noted that he was asking the executive about cancer medicine. “False, I was asking about upcoming cancer drugs,” Musk wrote in a response on X.
Musk’s comments resulted in numerous critical responses to the Mail’s video, with some X users joking that the lip reader who analyzed the clip should probably get a visual acuity test, or a better training course on lip reading at least.
News
Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.
Greenspan confirmed to the paper:
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.
Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner
The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.
However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.
It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.
We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.
Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.
Elon Musk’s xAI gains first access to Saudi supercluster with 600k Nvidia GPUs
Elon Musk debunks pay package and lip reader claims in double takedown
