Tesla · 2018–2023 · track setup

Model 3 Performance Pre-refresh

The pre-refresh Model 3 Performance is brutally quick out of corners, has a low centre of gravity and, with Track Mode, an adjustable front/rear torque balance and built-in lap timer. Its limits on track are heat, not grip: the battery and motors reduce power after a few hard laps, and the friction brakes are small for a 4,000 lb car. Plan sessions around temperatures and treat brakes as the first upgrade.
Engine
Dual electric motors (front and rear), ≈75–78 kWh battery, single-speed reduction
Power
≈450–455 hp (Tesla did not publish a figure; third-party estimate)
Weight
≈4,000–4,100 lb
Layout
Front-engine
Drive
AWD
Performance planner ↓

These are starting points gathered from the sources listed at the bottom, not a guarantee. Cars, tires and parts vary: have a reputable alignment shop set your car, check factory specs for road use, and change one thing at a time.

01On track

Strengths
  • +Huge, instant torque out of slow corners and all-wheel-drive traction
  • +Low centre of gravity and little body roll
  • +Track Mode: adjustable handling balance, stability assist, regen and lap timer with telemetry export
  • +Regenerative braking takes a lot of load off the friction brakes when set to 100%
Watch out for
  • −Battery and motor heat reduce power after a few laps
  • −Friction brakes and factory pads and fluid are not sized for repeated track stops
  • −Heavy for its size, so tires and brakes work hard
  • −Little front camber from the factory, and no stock rear camber adjustment per MPP

02Alignment

Where to start the alignment.

Alignment · starting points
VIEWED FROM BEHIND · CAMBER EXAGGERATED ×3-3.0°FRONT L-3.0°FRONT R—REAR L—REAR R
FrontRear
Camber-3° or more (adjustable front upper arms)Set with adjustable rear camber arms
ToeFactory specFactory spec

MPP's shorter front upper arms take the car from about -1° to -3° or more, which it says is worth seconds per lap (a vendor claim). MPP says the stock rear has no camber adjustment; owners disagree about whether the factory points allow any. No published toe targets were found, so start from factory toe and adjust from tire temperatures.

Sources [9,10,11]

Hot pressure target
34–36 psi hot as a first target on 200TW tires

Tire Rack found most 200TW and streetable track tires fastest at 34–36 psi hot. Track Mode's tire display shows blue when a tire is under-used and red when it is past peak grip, which helps balance pressures front to rear. Adjust in 2 psi steps. [1,15] Work out your cold pressure →

03Tires & brakes

Tires and brakes

  • 200TW endurance
    • Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS
    • Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ
    • Falken Azenis RT660+
    • Yokohama Advan A052
    265/40R18 on 18 x 9.5 (Apex staff pick; 275/40R18 is a wider option and some tires need a 3 mm front spacer). Test-fit 18s over the Performance brakes

    The RE-71RS was the benchmark of the 2025 Tire Rack 200TW testing, with the Falken and Yokohama close behind on lap time in third-party summaries of that data; the RE-71RZ is its successor.

    Sources [12,16]
  • Max-performance summer
    • Stock 20-inch Performance tires
    • Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
    Stock 235/35R20; 265/40R18 on 18 x 9.5

    Many owners move to 18- or 19-inch wheels for cheaper, taller tires; one MPP-built car runs 19 x 9.5 wheels. Wheel makers disagree on 18-inch clearance over the Performance brakes, so test-fit before buying.

    Sources [11,12,13]
Brake pads

Dedicated track pads front and rear. Unplugged sells Street & Track and Competition pad compounds. Tesla's own Track Package (Performance cars with the Performance Upgrade) bundled high-performance pads, track-focused fluid and 20-inch wheels.

Brake fluid

Replace the factory DOT 3 with a high-temperature racing fluid; Unplugged names Motul 700 or Endless 650.

Set regen to 100% in Track Mode. Unplugged's next step is braided lines; its Stage 2 kit adds 6-piston front calipers on 394 x 35 mm two-piece rotors with PFC pads. Watch the brake temperature display; red is an early overheating warning. [1,6,7,8]

04Known issues on track

Fix these before they find you.

  • Battery and motor heat: power reduction

    Track Mode runs the cooling harder and shows battery, motor, brake and tire temperatures on a colour scale; red can mean you should stop and let things cool. Road & Track found its 2019-era car started reducing power after about three or four laps at Lime Rock, gradually rather than suddenly, and that a few cool-down laps or about 20 minutes of rest restored it. Tesla's own simulations, as quoted, predicted about two to three seconds a lap of loss at equilibrium. Overheating is managed by the car, but expect only a few full-power laps per session. [1,3,4]

  • Brake fade

    Unplugged Performance says the factory brakes rely on regen to make up for small hardware, with pads chosen for low noise and dust and DOT 3 fluid; on track the pads and fluid overheat faster than the system can shed heat. Tesla recommends 100% regen in Track Mode to prevent brake overheating. For scale, a 2018 rear-drive Long Range (no Track Mode, regen on Low) at Laguna Seca wore its pads away in nine laps and needed the pedal on the floor by the end. [1,5,6]

  • Warranty and Track Mode

    Tesla says damage from using Track Mode is the driver's responsibility and the warranty does not cover damage from racing, autocross, competition or excessive overuse. Track Mode is calibrated for a Performance car on performance brakes and tires; without them, performance and endurance may be lower. [1]

  • Energy use

    Track Mode increases energy use. In the Laguna Seca run, nine laps used about 135 miles of rated range. Arrive with a high state of charge and know where to charge between sessions. [1,5]

05Modification roadmap

In the order that pays off.

  1. 0
    Safety & reliability first

    Safety and reliability first

    • Track pads and high-temperature fluidThe factory DOT 3 and quiet street pads are the first things to fail.
    • Track Mode set up before you leave the paddock100% regen, Post-Drive Cooling on, and a saved profile; learn to read the thermal display.
    • Short sessions and cool-down lapsBattery, motor and brake heat build quickly; manage them rather than fight them.
    • Seats and harnesses only with proper roll protectionNever fit harnesses without a roll bar or cage.
  2. 1
    Tires & alignment

    Tires and alignment

    • 18- or 19-inch wheels with track tiresCheaper, taller tires; check brake clearance first.
    • Adjustable front upper armsFront camber is the key to front tire life and grip.
  3. 2
    Suspension & brakes

    Suspension and brakes

    • Coilovers and adjustable rear camber armsBody control, plus a way to correct rear camber after lowering.
    • Braided lines, then a big brake kitPedal consistency first, then more thermal capacity for a heavy car.
  4. 3
    Power & aero

    Power last

    • Nothing here firstThe car already has more power than the battery and brakes can sustain; spend on heat management and brakes.

06Performance planner

What each upgrade is worth on this car.

Pick upgrades and see the estimated lap-time change on a reference circuit, how much margin your brakes and engine have late in a session, and which changes buy durability rather than speed.

Performance planner · Model 3 Performance Pre-refreshModel estimate
Tires
Brake pads
Brake fluid
Brake cooling
Brakes
Alignment
Suspension
Differential
Weight
Power
Cooling
Oil system
Aero
1:47.65stock 1:47.65−0.0%

Reference circuit (fictional, 3.5 km). Late lap includes brake fade and heat derating once the system runs out of margin.

T1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8SPEED · your plan vs stock · top 130 mph
Brake fade marginFades
Engine heat marginDerates
Oil starvation riskLow
Tire life (relative)100%
Sensitivity · each upgrade alone vs stock (late lap)
  • R-compound tires−5.98%load ↑
  • 200TW endurance tires−2.54%load ↑
  • Race pads−2.10%durability ↑
  • Big brake kit−2.07%durability ↑
  • Street/track pads−1.87%durability ↑
  • High-temp fluid−1.36%durability ↑
  • Brake cooling ducts−1.36%durability ↑
  • Track alignment−0.80%
  • Splitter + wing−0.72%
  • Coilovers + sway bars−0.67%
  • Oil cooler + radiator−0.44%durability ↑
  • Lighter wheels + seat−0.17%
  • Limited-slip differential±0
  • Oil system (baffles / accumulator)±0
  • Intake, exhaust, tune±0load ↑
This car’s roadmap below starts with: Track pads and high-temperature fluid · Track Mode set up before you leave the paddock · Short sessions and cool-down laps · Seats and harnesses only with proper roll protection

Estimates from a simplified point-mass lap simulation of Model 3 Performance Pre-refresh (4,001 lb, 450 hp) on a fictional circuit, with generic effects for each upgrade category. Good for comparing options on the same car, not for predicting your lap time. Real results depend on the driver, the exact parts, the track and the conditions. Durability starts lower on this car because of its known issues: heat, brake fade.

Free printable setup sheet →

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-18. Summaries are TRACK’s own wording; follow the links for the original detail. Product and brand names belong to their owners.

  1. [1]Track Mode (Model 3 2017–2023 Owner's Manual)Tesla · accessed 2026-10
  2. [2]Track Mode Is Out To Turn A Tesla Model 3 Performance Into A Drift MachineJalopnik · accessed 2026-10
  3. [3]Tesla's Dual Motor Model 3 Performance Pushes 450HP And Dominates On The Track (Road & Track test summary)HotHardware · accessed 2026-10
  4. [4]3P Road and Track review (owner thread reproducing the R&T test)Tesla Motors Club forum (owner consensus) · accessed 2026-10
  5. [5]Watch How The Tesla Model 3 Handles Hot Laps Around Laguna SecaThe Drive · accessed 2026-10
  6. [6]Why do Tesla Model 3 brakes fade on track and hard canyon runs?Unplugged Performance (vendor) · accessed 2026-10
  7. [7]Tesla Model 3 Essential Brake Kit Stage 1Unplugged Performance (vendor) · accessed 2026-10
  8. [8]Tesla Model 3 Track Package Features New BrakesThe Brake Report · accessed 2026-10
  9. [9]Tesla Model 3 MPP Front Upper Control ArmsTDi (Mountain Pass Performance distributor) · accessed 2026-10
  10. [10]Tesla 3 MPP Rear Camber ArmsTDi (Mountain Pass Performance distributor) · accessed 2026-10
  11. [11]From Quick EV to Track-Ready Super Sedan: Leveling Up the Tesla Model 3 Performance with Mountain Pass Performance SuspensionDrivingline · accessed 2026-10
  12. [12]Tesla Model 3 Wheel & Tire Fitment GuideApex Wheels · accessed 2026-10
  13. [13]2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance AWD – SpecificationsEV Specifications · accessed 2026-10
  14. [14]2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance: Here's What We ThoughtJalopnik · accessed 2026-10
  15. [15]Confirming optimal track tire pressures: 14 Extreme Performance & Competition tires tested on a BMW M2Tire Rack · accessed 2026-10
  16. [16]Extreme Performance Summer & Track Tire Test – 2025 Test 4F (200TW and sub-200TW tires)Tire Rack · accessed 2026-10
Related platforms