The Model 3 Performance might be Tesla’s most affordable P-branded vehicle to date, but the electric sedan still packs a lot of firepower. Unlike its more expensive siblings — the Model S P100D and the Model X P100D — the Model 3 Performance does not have a special “Ludicrous Mode” setting that optimizes it for straight-line launches. Instead, the high-performance midsize electric sedan makes do with its raw power.
As previous races involving the Model 3 Performance would show, though, even the raw power from the car’s dual motors is enough to make the vehicle a fierce competitor in quarter-mile races, and even more so in 1/8-mile runs. Thanks to the Model 3 Performance’s dual motors, which produce a combined 450 hp and 471 lb-ft of instant torque, the electric sedan is capable of propelling itself from 0-60 mph in just 3.3 seconds (Tesla’s initial estimates for the vehicle tagged it with a more conservative zero to 60 time of 3.5 seconds).
The raw power of the Model 3 Performance was put on display during a brief drag battle with a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS last month. A video of the race was posted on YouTube by SSDracer (the owner of the Camaro SS), who noted that he and the electric sedan battled it out in a 1/8-mile run. In the video’s description, the Camaro SS owner noted that his muscle car was completely stock during the race, and that he had an extra passenger. Based on the footage of the race, the Model 3 Performance also appeared to be completely stock.
The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS is the farthest thing from a slow vehicle. Powered by a 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine that produces 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque, and paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the Camaro SS is capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat. Just like the Model 3 Performance, the Chevrolet Camaro SS is also equipped with a special Track Mode, which optimizes the vehicle for closed circuit driving. With its Track Mode enabled, Chevrolet’s official website notes that drivers of the Camaro SS would be able to adjust their vehicles’ “suspension, throttle progression, shift feel, steering calibration, exhaust sound, and even available interior spectrum lighting” for the ultimate track experience.
Ultimately, though, even the Camaro SS’ roaring 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine proved inadequate to topple the high-performance electric sedan. Similar to how the Model 3 Performance outran the downright frightening Dodge Demon in a previous 1/8-mile race, the electric car immediately took the lead over the Camaro SS as soon as the race started. The Tesla just continued pulling after that, leaving the muscle car behind.
In the comments section of his video, the Camaro SS owner noted that the Model 3 Performance completed the run in 7.8 seconds, while his vehicle crossed the 1/8-mile mark in 8.4 seconds. Both cars were reportedly traveling at around 91 mph when the race ended. While responding to a commenter who stated that it would have been better if the Camaro SS won, the muscle car owner lightly noted that the results of the race might have been different in the quarter mile, though “AWD is hard to beat.”
The impressive capabilities of the Tesla Model 3 Performance would soon be experienced by Tesla owners beyond North America, as the electric car maker is now pushing to deliver the vehicle to foreign markets. This first quarter, Tesla is aiming to start deliveries of the Model 3 Performance and the Long Range AWD variant to the international market, starting with Europe and China.
Watch the Model 3 Performance’s 1/8-mile duel with a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS in the video below.