Building the Teslarossa - A Max Model 3 for the Street?
This story, like many car stories (car stories are usually only interesting to guys!), starts with a test drive. . . or in this case two of them. The first of them was a test drive of a top-of-the-line Tesla Model S in the Spring of 2013. While its acceleration was impressive, it was simply way too large and too ponderous for me to think about buying one. Its handling was not bad for a car that weighted well over 2 tons, but I just couldn't consider it as a daily driver - the suspension design appeared modern and sophisticated, but the car just felt much too big and heavy - and not any lighter on its feet than its spec sheet would suggest. Disappointed, I thought, oh well, let's see what they come up with next, as the drivetrain was pretty impressive . . . and of course the instant-on acceleration pretty appealing.
Fast forward three years to April 1st, 2016 - sight unseen and test drive undriven, I plunked down a measly thousand dollars on the first day that you put a deposit on the Model 3, along with 200,000+ other brave pioneers. And I promptly just about forgot about it, as the Model 3 I would be buying was at least 1 if not 2 years away. And, as bad luck (in this case, ' production hell') would have it, it turned out to be roughly 2½ years away! By the middle of 2018, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see a car, but sure enough, in July I got notification that I could now put in an official order for a real (non-vaporware?) car. Hmm . . . still skeptical, I put in an order - online of course as that's the only way you can buy one of these things - for a Performance Version Model 3 with just about every box ticked (except full self driving), and gulped, yikes! as the final price was like $76,000. Whoa! And then I realized I was thinking about spending $20,000 more than I'd ever considered spending on a car . . . . that I had not even test driven! This did not make a whole lot of sense!
So I trundled down to the Framingham Mass. Tesla store, and asked them for what I called a 'serious test drive.' The guy looked at me skeptically, and asked me what I meant by that, and I said "well I don't want to go on a race track, or violate any laws, but I do want to push it a little bit," explaining that I had just put down $2500 for one in the original pile of first day orders, again, sight unseen and test drive undriven. He agreed.
Well, I had never experienced acceleration quite like that! .9 Gs, no wheelspin, and no drama. Point-and-squirt acceleration. Instant response, and deeply linear - the G Force felt directly proportional to how much you press the "gas" (?) pedal. And on my first serious turn, I was very pleasantly surprised that the car felt a lot lighter than its rated 4000 pounds, and waaaay lighter than the floaty Model S I had experienced, as it turned in with alacrity. Although I didn't want to get too close to its limits, I could tell they were pretty high. That was enough. I was sold. I had been prepared to cancel my deposit if the car failed the test drive, but instead, I put down another deposit on another DMP Model 3 for my wife. We'd be fighting over this thing constantly if there was just one of these and a crappy ICE Mommy van!! That was one of my best moves ever.
Of course, as pleased as I was with the stock handling and performance, I had the approach of most guys with their cars, that things (finances permitting!) can always be improved!!! During those early days in 2018 there was a dire shortage of aftermarket equipment, and of course, unlike ICE, modding the engine was not an option, but I quickly heard about this new Canadian group that was doing amazing things on track with the car, Mountain Pass Performance! But I started with some lighter weight and wider wheels from Advanti, upgraded to Vorsteiner and then VS Forged (an amazing value at only $650 a corner for ultra wide 20s weighing 21/22 lbs), and after checking them out thoroughly, ordered the Sports Coilover kit from Mountain Pass Performance. Mountain Pass has proven to be an absolute gold mine for Tesla tweaking junkies. They are an exceptional outfit in every way - from the standpoint of their technical competencies, their customer service and integrity, and their commitment to supporting the Model 3 (and it looks like they're going to go in a similar direction on the Model Y!).
I got the Sports Coilover kit, and after toying with wrenching it myself, wisely had it installed. I initially set the shocks for the recommended street 10/12, which was actually really comfortable so I decided to ratchet up the stiffness, and set it at 8/10 which is where I've had it ever since. Not sure I'd want to go much firmer on the street . . . . Then it was a question of what other suspension 'bling' I might add to this great start.
Long story short . . . .that ended up being almost everything in their parts catalog at this point accepting the Front Upper Control Arms (saving that for later maybe) and the lower suspension bushing part. That includes the rear camber adjustment arm, the toe arms, and the traction and trailing arms. All really fine pieces, with super heavy duty spherical bushings. Highly, highly recommended, esp. the rear camber arms, but hell, just get the whole damn bin of their suspension parts!
How's it drive? A tighter, more precise version of the stock car, with significantly higher limits. The basic DNA of the Model 3 is immediately recognizable, but everything is more immediate, and the steering is slightly heavier (have it on the standard setting), presumably due to the much wider fronts. Much better turn-in, and more locked down at virtually any lateral acceleration rate. And while the stock Performance Model 3 is somewhat scrambling for traction any place much north of .8 G, this feels VERY securely planted at .9 G and will comfortably show loads on the track mode G meter of 1.1 Gs, and I'm definitely not exploring its limits fully on the street - it's possible the car could peak at about 1.2-1.3 Gs. There is none of the 'pogoing' on oscillating surfaces, and absolutely no sense that the rear is becoming a little bit loose at higher speeds or on sudden turn in. Very significantly reduced body roll and brake dive/acceleration squat - I can see why MPP feels that anti-roll bars aren't critical - and I like a little bit of roll anyway. The driver's seat is really a/the limiting factor now in terms of how much lateral accel you can tolerate. Not any grainier in relationship to road surface grain or harshness (still really smooth overall) but it is now firm to a point where I wouldn't want to drive cross country with things any firmer. Not sure I'd drive to NYC ever in this car, not with the current wheels and tires, even though I am sure they are much more impact-resistant than the stock OEM boat anchor wheels, and the 265/30 fronts probably are more impact resistant too.
One thing I forgot to mention in relationship to the car's handling is a bit surprising - its complete absence of terminal understeer, even with its slightly staggered 265/275 set up. In other words I was somewhat surprised to see that in higher speed corners the car actually feels like it wants to oversteer which can be a little disconcerting. I am wondering if that's a function of alignment (minimal toe all around, 1.5 neg camber rear, 1.2 neg camber front). It does not change posture in so called 'trailing throttle' in other words regen braking, (earlier gen Porsche 911s were famous for their 'snap' trailing throttle oversteer which could bite you) and fortunately there's nothing like that, but it's pretty clear that it's not understeerng.
I know the book from the track guys is a completely square set up but I'm wondering how many of them experience a little bit of undesirable oversteer. I know oversteer is desirable especially in lower speed corners where you can pivot out and then apply full power but in high speed corners oversteer strikes me as pretty undesirable. Curious what track guys might say about that.
Haven't had it on a track yet (wouldn't track it with the current Pilot Sport 4S past 1-2 laps, as they would likely get chunked quickly and they are way too expensive a tire to have to replace after 5-10 hot laps somewhere). Also needs more front negative camber for any serious track work, plus harder pads, and a brake fluid swap. Serious track wheels and tires might be the next item to save for - but I promised my wife that her car would get the Comfort Adjustable Coilovers to get lowered and achieve that hunkered-down look with those nice chunky tires (who would have thought she'd care?).
Tesla tuning is an expensive addiction!! 12 step program?
Final result: you just can't tell how chunky and seriously wide those tires are from most angles.
It's kind of stealth car, in that sense, a suspension/wheel/tire version of the stealth performance model 3.
This view does give a little bit more away of how radically changed the wheel tire complement might be:
First things first! Suspension coilovers in front:
and rear, where all the real bling is hiding:
Two serious PS4s: front 265/30 (wheel/tire combo weighs only 45 lbs - pretty light for 20s w/ 265. Offset is 40mm, which would be too much for 9.5 inch width on the front, excepting the extra 5mm afforded by the RB aftermarket rotor. Shout out to Mad Hungarian for confirming offsets - this offset with the aftermarket rotor leaves only about 2-3mm clearance from the front steering knuckle. Wouldn't recommend cutting it any tighter.
and the rear PS 4S 275/30 on a 10.5 rim both weighing together 50 lbs. Not bad. 50mm offset, due to the (upcoming) RB rear rotors, which are 5mm thicker (see fronts for RB rotor). Wheel weight is ~22 lbs, pretty decent for 20X10.5. Tire is a hefty 28 lbs, also not too bad for 275. Ride is firm but still rather supple, just not super compliant with the shocks set where they are.
Total Kit Summary:
Mountain Pass Performance sports Coilovers lowered 1.25 inches (shocks set at 10/8 (default is 12/10 for the street)
Mountain Pass Rear Camber, Toe, Trailing, and Traction Arms.
VS Forged VS14 wheels, 9.5 front, 10.5 rear
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 265/30 fronts, 275/30 rears
UP Front Splitter
Racing Brake front and rear rotors
Next: brake fluid swap, trackable pads, front suspension solid spherical bushing install . . . eventually some trackable tires?
This story, like many car stories (car stories are usually only interesting to guys!), starts with a test drive. . . or in this case two of them. The first of them was a test drive of a top-of-the-line Tesla Model S in the Spring of 2013. While its acceleration was impressive, it was simply way too large and too ponderous for me to think about buying one. Its handling was not bad for a car that weighted well over 2 tons, but I just couldn't consider it as a daily driver - the suspension design appeared modern and sophisticated, but the car just felt much too big and heavy - and not any lighter on its feet than its spec sheet would suggest. Disappointed, I thought, oh well, let's see what they come up with next, as the drivetrain was pretty impressive . . . and of course the instant-on acceleration pretty appealing.
Fast forward three years to April 1st, 2016 - sight unseen and test drive undriven, I plunked down a measly thousand dollars on the first day that you put a deposit on the Model 3, along with 200,000+ other brave pioneers. And I promptly just about forgot about it, as the Model 3 I would be buying was at least 1 if not 2 years away. And, as bad luck (in this case, ' production hell') would have it, it turned out to be roughly 2½ years away! By the middle of 2018, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see a car, but sure enough, in July I got notification that I could now put in an official order for a real (non-vaporware?) car. Hmm . . . still skeptical, I put in an order - online of course as that's the only way you can buy one of these things - for a Performance Version Model 3 with just about every box ticked (except full self driving), and gulped, yikes! as the final price was like $76,000. Whoa! And then I realized I was thinking about spending $20,000 more than I'd ever considered spending on a car . . . . that I had not even test driven! This did not make a whole lot of sense!
So I trundled down to the Framingham Mass. Tesla store, and asked them for what I called a 'serious test drive.' The guy looked at me skeptically, and asked me what I meant by that, and I said "well I don't want to go on a race track, or violate any laws, but I do want to push it a little bit," explaining that I had just put down $2500 for one in the original pile of first day orders, again, sight unseen and test drive undriven. He agreed.
Well, I had never experienced acceleration quite like that! .9 Gs, no wheelspin, and no drama. Point-and-squirt acceleration. Instant response, and deeply linear - the G Force felt directly proportional to how much you press the "gas" (?) pedal. And on my first serious turn, I was very pleasantly surprised that the car felt a lot lighter than its rated 4000 pounds, and waaaay lighter than the floaty Model S I had experienced, as it turned in with alacrity. Although I didn't want to get too close to its limits, I could tell they were pretty high. That was enough. I was sold. I had been prepared to cancel my deposit if the car failed the test drive, but instead, I put down another deposit on another DMP Model 3 for my wife. We'd be fighting over this thing constantly if there was just one of these and a crappy ICE Mommy van!! That was one of my best moves ever.
Of course, as pleased as I was with the stock handling and performance, I had the approach of most guys with their cars, that things (finances permitting!) can always be improved!!! During those early days in 2018 there was a dire shortage of aftermarket equipment, and of course, unlike ICE, modding the engine was not an option, but I quickly heard about this new Canadian group that was doing amazing things on track with the car, Mountain Pass Performance! But I started with some lighter weight and wider wheels from Advanti, upgraded to Vorsteiner and then VS Forged (an amazing value at only $650 a corner for ultra wide 20s weighing 21/22 lbs), and after checking them out thoroughly, ordered the Sports Coilover kit from Mountain Pass Performance. Mountain Pass has proven to be an absolute gold mine for Tesla tweaking junkies. They are an exceptional outfit in every way - from the standpoint of their technical competencies, their customer service and integrity, and their commitment to supporting the Model 3 (and it looks like they're going to go in a similar direction on the Model Y!).
I got the Sports Coilover kit, and after toying with wrenching it myself, wisely had it installed. I initially set the shocks for the recommended street 10/12, which was actually really comfortable so I decided to ratchet up the stiffness, and set it at 8/10 which is where I've had it ever since. Not sure I'd want to go much firmer on the street . . . . Then it was a question of what other suspension 'bling' I might add to this great start.
Long story short . . . .that ended up being almost everything in their parts catalog at this point accepting the Front Upper Control Arms (saving that for later maybe) and the lower suspension bushing part. That includes the rear camber adjustment arm, the toe arms, and the traction and trailing arms. All really fine pieces, with super heavy duty spherical bushings. Highly, highly recommended, esp. the rear camber arms, but hell, just get the whole damn bin of their suspension parts!
How's it drive? A tighter, more precise version of the stock car, with significantly higher limits. The basic DNA of the Model 3 is immediately recognizable, but everything is more immediate, and the steering is slightly heavier (have it on the standard setting), presumably due to the much wider fronts. Much better turn-in, and more locked down at virtually any lateral acceleration rate. And while the stock Performance Model 3 is somewhat scrambling for traction any place much north of .8 G, this feels VERY securely planted at .9 G and will comfortably show loads on the track mode G meter of 1.1 Gs, and I'm definitely not exploring its limits fully on the street - it's possible the car could peak at about 1.2-1.3 Gs. There is none of the 'pogoing' on oscillating surfaces, and absolutely no sense that the rear is becoming a little bit loose at higher speeds or on sudden turn in. Very significantly reduced body roll and brake dive/acceleration squat - I can see why MPP feels that anti-roll bars aren't critical - and I like a little bit of roll anyway. The driver's seat is really a/the limiting factor now in terms of how much lateral accel you can tolerate. Not any grainier in relationship to road surface grain or harshness (still really smooth overall) but it is now firm to a point where I wouldn't want to drive cross country with things any firmer. Not sure I'd drive to NYC ever in this car, not with the current wheels and tires, even though I am sure they are much more impact-resistant than the stock OEM boat anchor wheels, and the 265/30 fronts probably are more impact resistant too.
One thing I forgot to mention in relationship to the car's handling is a bit surprising - its complete absence of terminal understeer, even with its slightly staggered 265/275 set up. In other words I was somewhat surprised to see that in higher speed corners the car actually feels like it wants to oversteer which can be a little disconcerting. I am wondering if that's a function of alignment (minimal toe all around, 1.5 neg camber rear, 1.2 neg camber front). It does not change posture in so called 'trailing throttle' in other words regen braking, (earlier gen Porsche 911s were famous for their 'snap' trailing throttle oversteer which could bite you) and fortunately there's nothing like that, but it's pretty clear that it's not understeerng.
I know the book from the track guys is a completely square set up but I'm wondering how many of them experience a little bit of undesirable oversteer. I know oversteer is desirable especially in lower speed corners where you can pivot out and then apply full power but in high speed corners oversteer strikes me as pretty undesirable. Curious what track guys might say about that.
Haven't had it on a track yet (wouldn't track it with the current Pilot Sport 4S past 1-2 laps, as they would likely get chunked quickly and they are way too expensive a tire to have to replace after 5-10 hot laps somewhere). Also needs more front negative camber for any serious track work, plus harder pads, and a brake fluid swap. Serious track wheels and tires might be the next item to save for - but I promised my wife that her car would get the Comfort Adjustable Coilovers to get lowered and achieve that hunkered-down look with those nice chunky tires (who would have thought she'd care?).
Tesla tuning is an expensive addiction!! 12 step program?
Final result: you just can't tell how chunky and seriously wide those tires are from most angles.
It's kind of stealth car, in that sense, a suspension/wheel/tire version of the stealth performance model 3.
This view does give a little bit more away of how radically changed the wheel tire complement might be:
First things first! Suspension coilovers in front:
and rear, where all the real bling is hiding:
Two serious PS4s: front 265/30 (wheel/tire combo weighs only 45 lbs - pretty light for 20s w/ 265. Offset is 40mm, which would be too much for 9.5 inch width on the front, excepting the extra 5mm afforded by the RB aftermarket rotor. Shout out to Mad Hungarian for confirming offsets - this offset with the aftermarket rotor leaves only about 2-3mm clearance from the front steering knuckle. Wouldn't recommend cutting it any tighter.
Total Kit Summary:
Mountain Pass Performance sports Coilovers lowered 1.25 inches (shocks set at 10/8 (default is 12/10 for the street)
Mountain Pass Rear Camber, Toe, Trailing, and Traction Arms.
VS Forged VS14 wheels, 9.5 front, 10.5 rear
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 265/30 fronts, 275/30 rears
UP Front Splitter
Racing Brake front and rear rotors
Next: brake fluid swap, trackable pads, front suspension solid spherical bushing install . . . eventually some trackable tires?