A Tesla Model 3 With Dual Motors Has Been Spotted On A Track, Performance Version Coming In 2018?

The Tesla Model 3’s performance dual motor configuration is one of the most interesting configurations of the highly-anticipated EV. Expected to perform close to a base Model S in terms of range and acceleration, the top-tier Model 3 is speculated to hit 60 mph far below the five-second mark. Fortunately for Tesla enthusiasts, the EV community seems to have glimpsed what could very well be the first performance dual motor version Model 3, just as the vehicle was getting tested on carmaker’s Fremont factory test track.

The sighting of the speculated performance dual-motor Model 3 was posted by a member of the Tesla Model 3 Owners Club, an active community of Tesla and EV enthusiasts. The club uploaded the video of the rather mysterious Model 3 variation on its official YouTube channel, where the 31-second clip received a notably warm reception from the video streaming platform’s users.

While it is pretty much impossible to determine if the electric vehicle captured on camera was really a performance dual-motor Tesla Model 3, the compact EV in question did exhibit some interesting characteristics that proved noticeable among Tesla and EV enthusiasts alike. For one, the black Model 3 that was featured in the video was equipped with red brake calipers, which looked very similar to those equipped on the performance versions of the Model S and X.

Apart from this, the compact EV in the recently uploaded video also accelerated from 0-60 mph really quickly. While the numbers for the vehicle’s acceleration in the video have not been revealed, the time it took for the electric car to reach 60 mph seemed to have taken roughly 3.5-4 seconds, which was far less than 5.1 seconds that Tesla announced for its current long-range, premium Model 3 variant.

According to Electrek, a performance version of the mass market electric compact sedan might be around 1,000 lbs lighter than the conventional dual motor version of the vehicle. This reduced weight, of course, would aid the car’s acceleration and range.

So far, Tesla has not announced the release date for the performance dual motor version of the Model 3. Expectations are high, however, that the dual motor Model 3 powertrain would begin production sometime early 2018. With this in mind, and considering that Tesla is following an incredibly aggressive production timeline, it would not be a huge surprise if a Model 3 PD variant gets introduced late next year.

Watch the mysterious Model 3 video below.

[Featured Image by Tesla]