Categories: Cars

Tesla Model 3 Performance Vs. BMW M3 Competition – Can Endurance Mode Make Tesla the New Champ?

In the latest showdown of sports sedans, Hagerty and Jason Cammisa pit two performance heavyweights against each other: the newly updated Highland Tesla Model 3 Performance with its much-anticipated Endurance Mode, and the refreshed, reigning champion of the sports sedan segment (at least in our opinion), the 2025 BMW M3 Competition xDrive with the Life Cycle Impulse update. The stage is set for an all-out Track Test Laptime Battle and Endurance Race, where pro driver Randy Pobst will push each car to its limits.

The Contenders: Specs Overview

Tesla Model 3 Performance (Highland Edition with Endurance Mode):

Image: Tesla Inc

Powertrain: Dual electric motors (one per axle, offering all-wheel-drive)
Horsepower: Approximately 512 hp
Torque: 660 lb-ft (estimated)
0-60 mph: 3.1 seconds
Top Speed: 162 mph
Battery Capacity: 82 kWh
Range: Around 315 miles (EPA estimated)
Weight: Approximately 4,048 lbs
New Feature: Endurance Mode for sustained high-performance output

BMW M3 Competition xDrive (LCI):

Engine: 3.0-liter inline-six twin-turbo (S58 engine)
Horsepower: 523 hp
Torque: 479 lb-ft
0-60 mph: 3.4 seconds
Top Speed: 180 mph (with M Driver’s Package)
Transmission: 8-speed automatic with xDrive (all-wheel drive)
Weight: Approximately 3,990 lbs

Track Test: Laptime Battle

We won’t give away the video review, but Cammisa and Pobst touch on some important points: drift mode in the Model 3 and M3, brakes overheating, track laptimes and of course, every day driving. In the end, the Tesla Model 3 Performance and the BMW M3 Competition are as different as two high-performance sedans can be. While both are track-capable machines designed to deliver exhilarating speed, they approach the task from opposite sides of the automotive spectrum.

But which one takes this comparison? Let’s find out!

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Source: BMW BLOG

WBN