Drag race: Tesla Model 3 Performance old vs new (2020 vs 2021)

We’re shaking things up a little bit for our latest drag race. Rather than pitting completely different cars against each other, today’s head-to-head sees two versions of the Tesla Model 3 Performance duke it out on the drag strip – the 2020 model and brand-new 2021 car. 

On paper, there’s very little to split the 2020 and 2021 model year Model 3 Performance. After all, both cars have dual-motor setups that produce an identical 660Nm of torque, and the duo shares a 457hp power output, too. Likewise, Tesla claims both cars can sprint to 60mph from a standing start in a supercar-rivaling 3.1 seconds.

Even when one car does have the edge over the other, the margin iss wafer thin at best. For instance, while the 2021 model year Model 3 Performance is the lighter of the pair 1,844kg, the 2020 Tesla is only 3kg heavier.

Still, slim advantages like that can be all the difference in motor racing, so will it be enough to see the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance win this head-to-head? You’ll need to watch the video above (or spoil the result early by checking out our ¼ mile drag race leaderboard) to find out.

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