Tesla Model 3 Performance VS. BMW M3: ‘It’s Staggering’

Hagerty pits the facelifted Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency towards the BMW M3 Competitors xDrive.
Each are all-wheel drive four-door sedans.

The BMW M3 is broadly considered the benchmark within the sports activities sedan market. And no, your eyes are usually not deceiving you. Regardless of this being a web site that makes a speciality of writing about battery-powered vehicles, we have to acknowledge that BMW has mastered the artwork of manufacturing an exciting gas-powered four-door sedan that you would be able to comfortably drive daily and take to the monitor from time to time.

However right here’s the place the brand new Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency comes into play. With new tech beneath the pores and skin, corresponding to higher brakes and a elaborate suspension, Tesla’s sportiest EV takes issues up a notch and guarantees to be the perfect all-rounder, interval. However is it so? Till we are able to get our fingers on each a BMW M3 Efficiency xDrive and a Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency, we’ll go by Jason Cammisa’s and Randy Pobst’s phrases, which have been properly specified by the Hagerty video embedded beneath.

As a reminder, Camissa is a bona fide automobile journalist with twenty years of expertise reviewing vehicles, whereas Pobst is a a number of SCCA World Problem GT champion.

One of many largest points with the earlier Mannequin 3 Efficiency fashions was their incapability to run a number of monitor laps at full pace with out experiencing brake fade or some kind of powertrain limitation as a consequence of overheating. Now, although, it seems like Tesla dialed every part good, with no brake fade after a number of sizzling laps within the Observe Endurance mode. That mentioned, the Endurance mode limits the EV’s high pace to protect longevity, and it reveals within the lap occasions.

After quarter-hour of steady driving, the BMW M3 Competitors was over 5,000 toes forward of the Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency, so there’s nonetheless work to be accomplished. In a single-lap shootout, the M3 was additionally faster than the Mannequin 3, however by lower than two seconds, with the EV’s largest disadvantage being its tires.

As a each day driver, although, the Mannequin 3 Efficiency is a superb sports-oriented automobile, not simply EV. The infotainment is nice, though it doesn’t have Apple CarPlay, and the charging expertise is superb. Nevertheless, the truth that there are not any steering column stalks makes the Mannequin 3 “harmful,” in line with Cammisa.

On the finish of the day, nonetheless, the largest situation is the value. The 2025 BMW M3 Sedan with rear-wheel drive and 473 horsepower begins at $76,000. Upgrading to the M3 Competitors with xDrive all-wheel drive and 523 hp ups the value to $85,000. Add some choices and also you’ll quickly cross the $100,000 mark.

In the meantime, the Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency, with dual-motor all-wheel drive and 510 hp, begins at $54,990. However, not like BMW, Tesla doesn’t actually promote elective extras, so what you see is what you get.

Is the BMW price the additional $20,000 to $50,000? It’s a troublesome query to reply. Camissa mentioned one may purchase a Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency and a Mazda Miata for a similar worth as a single BMW M3, which issues into perspective. What’s your take?