First look at the new and improved Tesla Model 3 Performance

The new and updated version of the Tesla Model 3 Performance seems to be getting close to official release.

The updated Tesla Model 3 engineering vehicle was spotted charging in Santa Monica, California.

The car had light tints on its windows, so it was fairly easy to see inside the vehicle.

Read More! Elon Musk confirms low-cost Tesla coming with target date set

It seems the car features dedicated “Sport” seats, designed for high-intensity driving.

Since Tesla is equipping the new Model 3 Performance with “Sport” seats, it is safe to assume that similar seats might also be rolled out to Tesla’s other high-performance EVs.

So, we might see the same dedicated “Sport” seats on Tesla Model S Plaid, Model X Plaid, and Model Y Performance.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance is a highly anticipated release.

The EV has only gone on sale in single-motor rear-wheel drive and long-range dual-motor variants.

Even after the Tesla Model 3 refresh, codenamed “Project Highland”, the high-performance variant has been absent from the lineup.

Although the spotted car featured the ‘Sports’ wheels from the pre-update Model 3, it also came with the Highland model’s slimmer headlights.

The Model 3 rear-wheel drive and long-range cost $38,990 and $47,490, respectively.

Therefore, the updated Model 3 performance might cost around $55,000 before on-road costs.

Tesla’s director of vehicle programs, Daniel Ho, said that the company “left a few things on the table” when it released the previous generation Model 3 Performance.

This decision was made due to the EV maker being in the middle of production hell.

However, In November 2023, Ho told the media the new Model 3 Performance would return as something “pretty special” in the first half of 2024.

So, if you want to learn more, keep your eyes peeled for any new announcements from Tesla – including an upcoming low-cost Tesla.

In the meantime, Elon Musk might be more busy creating a hovering Tesla, rather than focusing on slipping deadlines.

And to think: Elon Musk almost sold Tesla to Google for what would have been a huge loss.