• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

The Tesla Model 3’s ‘Track Mode’ Tunes Safety Systems So Racers Can ‘Drift’

By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 5, 2018, 2:47 PM ET

New details have emerged about one of the most lusted-after features of the Tesla Model 3: a “Track Mode” that makes the car handle less like a very fast sedan, and more like a custom racer from The Fast and the Furious. Track Mode is included in the Performance version of the Model 3, the $64,000-$78,000 top-of-the-line model which also includes dual-motor All Wheel Drive. It started reaching showrooms and buyers last month.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed back in May that the Performance Model 3 would “beat anything in its class on the track”—that is, other entry-level luxury sports sedans like the Audi A5 and BMW 3-Series. Fulfilling that promise is partly down to raw power, and independent tests have tracked the Model 3 Performance going from 0-60 in a fantastic 3.3 seconds.

Cost of all options, wheels, paint, etc is included (apart from Autopilot). Cost is $78k. About same as BMW M3, but 15% quicker & with better handling. Will beat anything in its class on the track.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2018

But mere acceleration doesn’t make a car ready for the racetrack—and in fact, Track Mode doesn’t enable any performance enhancements per se. Instead, as described in a detailed new Road and Track road test, it changes how the car brakes and handles, allowing skilled drivers more flexibility. That includes toning down the reactions of safety systems including anti-lock brakes, which can interfere with high-speed maneuvering.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

It also includes rebalancing the car’s regenerative braking systems to shift weight forward on turns and allow oversteering—sometimes known as “drifting.” It’s a maneuver less about speed than just having fun, and according to Road and Track the Performance Model 3 takes such automotive tomfoolery to new levels: “With no engine noise to out-shout everything,” writes tester Bob Sorokanich, drivers can sense and respond to the car’s traction “at a level you’ve never experience in a bellowing internal-combustion car.”

Of course, burning up a track also burns energy, but Track Mode adds a power-throttling feature that keeps the car’s components cool enough to operate reliably. That also means it gets less punchy after three or four back-to-back laps, but not enough to ruin the fun. As for battery life, Sorokanich reports that “an entire morning” of high-speed track stunts, with cool-downs as the testers swapped between two cars, left about 40 miles of range on the Model 3 batteries.

Tesla is making it clear these features aren’t for your daily commute—when a driver selects Track Mode, a warning screen reminds them it’s “designed to be used exclusively on closed courses.” Track Mode is also still being fine-tuned, possible thanks to Tesla’s over-the-air update systems. But even in its current form, Sorokanich declares it makes the Model 3 Performance “the world’s first electric sport sedan with bona fide race track chops.”

About the Author
By David Z. Morris
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

gen z
CommentaryCareers
The entry-level job market is the worst it’s been in 37 years. Stop blaming Gen Z
By Janelle Jones and Nia LawMarch 21, 2026
55 minutes ago
A woman looks frustrated a computer
AIWomen
Women are avoiding the very technology that threatens them most, as expert warns of a ‘two-tiered AI economy’ approaching
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 21, 2026
1 hour ago
AIFinance
Why Block’s COO is tracking ‘gross profit per employee’—and how AI is on track to double it to $2 million
By Sheryl EstradaMarch 21, 2026
1 hour ago
ILLUSTRATION - 17 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: A beverage can with a soft drink and numerous sugar cubes lie on a table. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images)
EnergyIran
Iran war is making the world a little less sweet as oil soars at the worst possible time for sugar
By Eva RoytburgMarch 21, 2026
2 hours ago
home for sale
AIChatGPT
A man let ChatGPT sell his home. It beat every agent’s estimate by $100K—and closed in 5 days
By Jake AngeloMarch 21, 2026
2 hours ago
US President Donald Trump, left, and Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, speak to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, March 20, 2026. US officials said the White House is sending more than 2,000 additional Marines to the Middle East as it weighs a plan to seize Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub, a ground operation that would carry huge risks for President Donald Trump.
EnergyIran
Three weeks into the Iran war that’s requested $200 billion, here’s what success for Trump might look like
By Jordan BlumMarch 21, 2026
3 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.