While we wait for the launch of the new Tesla Model 3 Performance, more details about the electric sedan have leaked after someone gained unauthorized access to a test vehicle in Florida.
The incident occurred over the weekend in Florida, where a X (formerly Twitter) user was seemingly able to gain access to a storage yard at the Kennedy Space Center where a new Model 3 Performance was park and covered up. Apparently not concerned with the potential consequences, this individual took a video of the vehicle’s various menus, showing us some new features that will be included in the new Model 3 Performance that we haven’t seen before.
Among these are that there will be a ‘Ludicrous’ badge on the menu, although there is no mention of the word Ludicrous, suggesting it may retain the Performance moniker as previously suggested.
Also discovered was that it will feature three Acceleration modes – the usual Chill and Sport, but a new ‘Insane’ mode has been added. The Model 3 Performance will also have a ‘Ride & Handling’ menu with two options, Standard and Sport, suggesting adaptive dampening and not air suspension like in the Model S/X and Cybertruck.
Another new feature is ‘Auto Shift between D/R.’ This is an extension of the typical ‘Auto Shift out of Park,’ in which the car will now automatically shifts between forward and reverse when not in Park. This will make multi-point turns significantly easier than the current method which requires the driver to swipe up and down on the main screen to switch gears during such maneuvers.
Since this was unauthorized access, the individual in question did not bother to cover up the name of the employee in the car’s profile, jeopardizing their employment, so that is why we included screenshots from the video and not the video itself.
While nearly all of the details about the new Model 3 Performance have leaked or been released through regulatory documents, the one piece of information that is still unknown is when it will finally launch. Given the number of test vehicles that have been spotted in the last week or two, and the fact that Tesla was seen filming promotional material in Spain last month, it will be sooner rather than later.
