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Tesla Model 3 Performance takes on supercars, high-performance sedans in track battle
When Elon Musk first announced the specs of the Tesla Model 3 Performance, he noted that the electric car would beat anything on its class inside a closed circuit. With its dual motors that produced a combined 450 hp and 471 lb-ft of torque, its 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, and its top speed of 155 mph, Musk noted that the top variant of the Model 3 would cost roughly the same as a BMW M3, but be “15% quicker and with better handling.”
It should be noted that Musk mentioned the Model 3 Performance’s comparison with the BMW M3 at a time when Tesla was yet to reveal that it was developing a dedicated Track Mode for the electric sedan. With Track Mode, which optimizes the car for intensive closed circuit driving, the Model 3 Performance becomes a very formidable car on the racetrack. Over the past months, videos of the Model 3 Performance that have been shared online have mostly featured the vehicle competing in drag races or going around race tracks on its own. Rarely has there been a test of the car competing on a closed circuit against other high-performance vehicles.
That is, until recently, when Chinese auto group Know the Car (credit to Tesla community member JayinShanghai for sharing the video) opted to test the Model 3 Performance against several notable competitors. The group selected three groups of vehicles that would compete against the electric car — Chinese-made EVs, the NIO ES8 and the BYD唐DM; high-performance sedans, the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C63; and supercars, the Nissan GT-R and the Ferrari 488 GTB.
The tests were conducted at the Goldenport Park Circuit in Beijing, China in -5°C (23°F) weather. In its first test, the group opted to test the Model 3 Performance’s acceleration. Thanks to the instant torque from its dual electric motors, the electric sedan soundly dominated its competitors. After beating the competition on the straight line test, the group opted to call a professional driver to see just how well the Model 3 Performance stacked up against the six other vehicles on the track.
It should be noted that Beijing’s Goldenport Park Circuit is a location that is known to favor cornering and technical driving over high-speed, straight-line acceleration. Thus, during the tests, the Model 3 Performance, with its Track Mode enabled, was driven hard from one corner to the other. When the track times of the six vehicles were compared, it became evident that Elon Musk’s words about the electric car were accurate.
At the bottom of the rankings were the two Chinese-made EVs, which is understandable considering that the NIO ES8 and the BYD唐DM were SUVs. Immediately following the two EVs was the BMW M3, which was able to complete a lap around the track in 01:22.67. The Mercedes-AMG C 63 fared better than the M3, finishing a lap in 01:20.23. True to Elon Musk’s words, the Tesla Model 3 Performance dominated its class, with its lap time of 01:18.62.
Only two vehicles proved faster than the Model 3 Performance around the track — the Ferrari 488 GTB, which finished a lap in 01:16.31, and the Nissan GT-R, which completed a lap in 01:15.23. As noted by the group that conducted the test, the Model 3 Performance was ultimately outgunned only by vehicles that are beyond its class and its price range (credit to David Jao for the translation).
“The data doesn’t lie. China’s new electric entrants compared to the Model 3 are still far behind. The cars that we previously worshipped as high-end sedans, regretfully defeated. Only the supercars, costing 3-5 times the Model 3 remain to defend the honor of the internal combustion engine (ICE). So the appearance of the Model 3 brings forth a new kind of performance — cheaper, quieter, and even faster.”
The group’s statement about the prices of the Model 3’s rivals in the Chinese market is no exaggeration. Tesla lists the Model 3 Performance with a price of 560,000 RMB (around $81,000) for the Chinese market. While higher than its $64,000 price in the United States, the Model 3 Performance is still considerably more affordable than its rival high-performance sedans in the country. The BMW M3, for one, sells for 998,000 RMB ($162,000), while the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe costs 1,198,000 RMB ($173,623). With its price in the Chinese market, Tesla all but made the Model 3 Performance as the ultimate bang-for-your-buck high-performance sedan — quicker, cleaner, and cheaper than the competition.
Watch the Tesla Model 3 Performance battle local high-performance sedans and supercars on the track in the video below.
Tesla’s long-promised Cybercab is finally available for personal purchase, at least for a select few in the Austin area. But it’s far from a straightforward ownership experience.
The $29,990 price tag comes with a stack of restrictions that redefine what “owning” the vehicle actually means. The two-seat, steering-wheel-free Robotaxi, previously limited to Tesla’s own fleet, now carries contractual terms that limit where it can go, how it can be used, and whether it can even move without an active paid subscription.
Opening Night of Orders
Late on November 13, Tesla announced that select customers were being invited to order a Cybercab for personal use.
Tesla Cybercab goes on sale for $29,990, slated for December deliveries
The estimated purchase price is $29,990 before taxes, paired with a non-refundable $1,000 deposit and an estimated December 2026 delivery in Austin, Texas. The first month of the required :Autonomy Subscription,” priced at $299 per month is included.
After that, the vehicle needs an active subscription to operate at all. The announcement confirmed that customer sales had begun, albeit on an invite-only basis rather than a public order page.
The Fine Print for Buyers
BREAKING: Tesla’s Cybercab Autonomy Subscription terms are now live. A paid monthly subscription is required.
1/12 Tesla: “Your Cybercab will not operate without an active Autonomy Subscription. 🧵 https://t.co/umVk6DJE2x— Spencer (@scotsrule08) November 13, 2026
For those invited to order, the agreements (Cybercab Order Agreement, Terms of Use, and Autonomy Subscription Agreement) impose significant constraints. Major points include:
- A mandatory Autonomy Subscription (currently listed at $299 per month on the order screen, first month included) is required; without it, the Cybercab will not operate.
- Personal, non-commercial use only; ride-hailing, Robotaxi network participation, delivery, or rental requires separate written authorization or product enablement from Tesla.
- Operation restricted to Tesla-enabled Robotaxi geofences and supported service areas, which the company can expand, shrink, or alter; the vehicle may be technologically prevented from operating outside them.
- No unauthorized modifications (including wraps, window tint, or wheel changes) without Tesla or an authorized provider.
- Restricted resale and transfer: written permission required, with contractual damages of at least $50,000 (or full transaction value if higher) for unauthorized sales; Tesla also reserves repurchase rights at a company-determined fair market value, with the owner covering return costs.
- Safety or improper-use “strikeouts” (three or more) can trigger a one-week suspension of autonomous features without prorated refund.
- Owners remain responsible for insurance, registration, charging, parking, and general cleaning; the subscription covers certain maintenance items such as tires, windshields, filters, and camera cleaning, plus limited towing.
- Manual controls on the touchscreen allow only short-distance movement up to about 2 mph and require a valid driver’s license; they are not for public-road driving.
Why These Terms Might Exist
Tesla’s approach prioritizes control over a vehicle designed without traditional human controls and intended primarily as transport-as-a-service, something that Musk has hinted toward for some time now. Restricting commercial use and modifications could be as much of a software integrity, safety, and data collection effort as it is a safety effort.
Fleet consistency could also be in regulatory scrutiny early on in the Cybercab’s days of public operation.
The subscription model generates ongoing revenue beyond the low vehicle price and ensures the car remains connected and updatable, something that will keep the Cybercab as safe as possible as new updates roll out.
Buyback and resale limits reduce the risk of vehicles circulating outside Tesla’s operational and service ecosystem.
It apperas that personal ownership is secondary to the broader Robotaxi network strategy, as Musk has previously stated that the vast majority of Cybercabs would remain Tesla-owned.
Pickup Locations and Musk’s Pricing View
Initial deliveries are estimated for Austin, but personal vehicles are able to operate in any of Tesla’s Robotaxi geofences:
It’ll work unsupervised inside all the same geo locations as @robotaxi, just serving the owners’ needs.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) November 14, 2026
Those who have been invited to order can also have their personal Cybercab delivered to numerous locations in Texas, including:
- Austin
- Dallas
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Fort Worth
Interesting that you can choose a delivery city https://t.co/SknDz9rFzo
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) November 14, 2026
As far as the monthly “Autonomy Subscription,” it appears Musk already wants it to be low. He acknowledged last night on X that the subscription price is too high. Along with detailing that the Cybercab will be available nationwide as regulatory approval is received, Musk said the monthly fee should match the cost of FSD and Premium Connectivity, which is about $115 per month.
The launch marks a milestone for unsupervised personal autonomous vehicles, but the fine print makes clear that buyers are purchasing a highly constrained asset whose usefulness is tightly bound to Tesla’s software, service network, and geographic approvals.
Tesla has officially put the Cybercab up for sale, revealing a bargain price and a $299 per month “Autonomy Subscription” that could hit customer hands as soon as December.
The offer requires a $299 monthly Autonomy Subscription, with the first month included in the purchase price, along with a $1,000 non-refundable order deposit. Tesla’s ordering interface shows deliveries targeted for Austin, Texas.
Tesla says that the Cybercab is making transportation more efficient, affordable and accessible than ever before, and that buyers can order their own Cybercab for personal use.
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: Tesla Cybercab is officially on sale for $29,990 with a $299/mo “Autonomy Subscription”
Delivery slotted for December! HUGE!
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
The Cybercab is Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi, a gold-finished, two-passenger vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, designed from the outset for unsupervised autonomous operation. It has been in limited Robotaxi service in Austin since September 2026, operating alongside Tesla’s larger fleet of Model Y vehicles.
Production takes place at Gigafactory Texas, which launched earlier this year. Tesla has stated for some time that it planned to put Cybercabs on sale by the end of the year, and it looks like they will come through on that promise if everything goes according to plan.
The Autonomy Subscription is mandatory for the vehicle to operate because it is void of a steering wheel and pedals. Tesla notes that the subscription and regular vehicle maintenance are required, indicating that personal owners will depend on the company’s software and service infrastructure rather than traditional ownership models.
One month of the subscription is included with purchase and subsequent months are billed separately until canceled.
This limited personal-sales opening marks a shift from Tesla’s earlier emphasis on fleet and transport-as-a-service operations. During the Q3 2026 Earnings Call, executives indicated that the vast majority of Cybercabs would remain Tesla-owned and used for rideshare service, while still aiming to place some vehicles with customers by year-end.
Elon Musk has previously targeted a price below $30,000, which was a huge point of emphasis for the Cybercab being the central point of Tesla’s “transportation-as-a-service” model.
Availability remains restricted to invited customers rather than a public order page, and the initial deliveries are expected only in the Austin area where unsupervised Robotaxi operations are already active. Buyers will need to accept the geographic and operational constraints of current autonomous deployment, as the vehicle cannot be driven manually outside supported zones.
The move gives a small number of early buyers the chance to own Tesla’s dedicated autonomous vehicle at the long-discussed sub-$30,000 price point, while the bulk of production continues to support the company’s expanding Robotaxi network.
UPDATE: The FAA has granted the license for Starship Flight 15.
Starship Flight 15 License has been granted by the FAA!
Let’s go! https://t.co/DugsgjvYAe
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
SpaceX is set to attempt its 15th test flight of Starship this evening from Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX is targeting Starship Flight 15 for a launch as soon as today, Friday, November 13, pending an FAA Flight License, during a 75-minute window that opens at 4:45 p.m. CT (5:45 p.m. ET) from Orbital Launch Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. The flight remains pending final regulatory approval.
WATCH Starship Flight 15 here:
https://t.co/C6GnCHyF8p
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
The mission, using Booster 22 and Ship 42, aims to achieve the first full recovery of an orbital launch system. Primary objectives include a tower catch of the Super Heavy booster roughly six and a half minutes after liftoff and the first-ever tower catch of a Starship upper stage after more than 22 hours in space.
SpaceX will perform Starship double catch attempt with Flight 15
Between those catches, Ship 42 is planned to enter a low Earth orbit of about 275 km, complete roughly 14 orbits, and deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites (Starlink Group 31-2). Three of those satellites carry cameras to inspect the ship’s heat shield in orbit and help controllers decide whether the vehicle is healthy enough for a return to the tower.
Contingency ocean splashdown options exist if either stage is not cleared for catch.
To watch the attempt, check the link to the broadcast in both X posts in this article. The live webcast is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff and is planned to continue through the ship catch the next day, with the possibility of extended onboard views during the orbital coast via Starlink.
Because the schedule is dynamic, check back here or on our social media channels for the latest updates on window timing and regulatory status. A successful dual catch would mark a major milestone toward making Starship a rapidly reusable rocket capable of frequent flights.
WATCH Starship Flight 15 here:
https://t.co/C6GnCHyF8p
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
Tesla Cybercab ownership will come with plenty of strings attached
Tesla Cybercab goes on sale for $29,990, slated for December deliveries
