New Tesla Model 3 Ludicrous to accelerate in 3 seconds as speed and range specs appear

UPDATE: The Tesla configurator source code references might be placeholders or previous entries, so the final 2024 Model 3 Performance acceleration, range, and top speed specs are still up in the air. Original story follows:

Tesla is hard at work testing the new 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland Performance, including on the German Autobahn where at some stretches there aren't speed limits.

Tesla's smallest performance car may actually be called the Model 3 Ludicrous as previous rumors, as well as its leaked badging suggest.

This naming scheme has now been confirmed with some deep code dive in the car configurator on Tesla's own website.

Not only does Tesla refer to the 2024 heir of the 2017 Model 3 Performance as Ludicrous in the source code, but the configurator also revealed all the most important specs that weren't known so far.

2024 Tesla Model 3 Ludicrous/Performance acceleration, top speed, and range specs

• Acceleration: 3.2 seconds
• Top speed: 261 km/h (162 mph)
• Range: 499 km (310 miles)

Previous Model 3 Ludicrous leaks from certification databases already tipped that it may come with a new 406HP rear motor for a total output of more than 600HP together with the front 212HP one.

According to Tesla's source code, this will be able to catapult it from 0-60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. That's about as fast as its predecessor that launched with 510HP of combined output, though, so it remains to be seen how and what did Tesla measure when it tagged 3.2 seconds under the acceleration entry in the source code.

While the 310-mile range and 162 mph top speed stay largely the same, handling and ride comfort have reportedly been greatly improved.

The 2024 Model 3 Ludicrous/Performance price is expected to be in the $55,000-$60,000 range still, or at least 30% more than the base trim.

Tesla is rumored to release the performance Model 3 Highland variant in May, after some further tuning of the suspension and ride were needed in light of the new and way more powerful rear motor.

Unlike previous Highland trims, both Europe and the US market are likely to get the Model 3 Ludicrous variant at the same time, given that Tesla already has its website configurator ready on the backend there. 

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