After an attempt to break the 10 minute record at Pikes Peak in a practice lap that led to a spectacular crash, the Unplugged Performance team has since resurrected its crazy Tesla Model 3 and did a deep dive on the car with the YouTube channel Hoonigan Autofocus. What they did was take a Tesla Model 3, completely gutted it, added slick tires, and turned it into the ultimate electric Hillclimb car that can beat anything off the line at any track.
A Laguna Seca Racer
The car has also raced at Laguna Seca and yet it's actually still mostly as it was when it left the factory. Unplugged Performance definitely had a great baseline, the Tesla Model 3 being one of the best electric cars you can buy right now. The biggest difference is the roll bars and stripped out interior to save weight and make it lighter. This Tesla Model 3 still has its factory levels of horsepower, which is about 450bhp. What will help the car at Pikes Peak is the altitude. An electric car will not need to breathe like a gasoline-powered car, which gives the Unplugged Performance team quite a big advantage.
So in essence, a car that has 450bhp at sea level is going to have the same level of power when it hits the high altitude of the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. What makes Tesla so good is it is so tuneable, and out of the tight corners it will launch itself onto the next section of road with the instant torque and power to the wheels. And there will be even more grip than normal thanks to those slick tires.
Future Plans
Unplugged Performance plans on turning their Tesla into a full-blown race car once they finish their Pikes Peak runs. It could one-day rival Hyundai's insane RM20e Hatchback. That will add even more performance to an already crazy machine. A few things from the standard Model 3 are still intact to keep the car happy and in order for it to run. But it's virtually unrecognizable from a standard Tesla Model 3 and is an insane performer.
Source: YouTube