The Tesla Model 3 Performance is a fun track beast that can beat high-performance cars like the BMW M3 in a hot lap, but thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, racetracks like the Laguna Seca Raceway are closed to the public. Fortunately, a noted EV tuner and his team have taken it upon themselves to create a realistic racing simulator that brings Model 3 racing to the comfort of Tesla fans’ homes.
Sasha Anis of MountainPass Performance is no stranger to the capabilities of the Model 3. Being an avid racer, Anis was the man behind a record-setting lap in Laguna Seca using a modified Tesla Model 3 Performance last summer. Using the vehicle, Anis was able to complete the challenging track in 1:37.5, faster than the non-production Lucid Air 1,000 hp prototype, which held the fastest EV record in Laguna Seca with a 1:39.3 lap.
In a recent message to Teslarati, the Tesla tuner stated that over the past few weeks, he and his team have been busy creating a realistic racing simulator for electric vehicle fans. Using Assetto Corsa as a platform, the MountainPass Performance team developed a Model 3 simulator features vehicles whose behavior and characteristics were modeled after Anis’ data from his actual Laguna Seca runs. This gives the simulator a certain degree of realism that is pretty hard to match.
The simulator was then uploaded onto a server, where Tesla owners and enthusiasts can log on and race together. So far, the Model 3 simulator has been met with much optimism from the Tesla community. An initial event was held last Sunday, and it proved to be a session full of wholesome racing fun. It certainly makes the ongoing stay-at-home orders across the United States more interesting.
The Tesla community tends to get together during challenging times. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, it is difficult and next to impossible to hold public gatherings, at least until stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules are lifted. Fortunately, Anis and the MountainPass Performance team have contributed their resources to help the EV community pass the time with some realistic, online Tesla racing sessions. For this, the MountainPass Performance team definitely deserves commendation.
Anyone interested in giving the MountainPass Performance team’s Model 3 simulator Assetto Corsa a try is best advised to click here for more information about the racing simulator. A Discord channel has also been created where participants can chat with other players. A steering wheel controller is best advised for players to experience the racing simulator in its full, unbridled form.
Watch a trial run of Assetto Corsa in the video below.