Photo: Motortrend
Tesla fanatics at Unplugged Performance teamed up with Swedish Hypercar company Koenigsegg to produce aftermarket parts for the Model 3, and since the announcement, one publication has taken the vehicle to the test track to see how the partnership did.
A new track test and review of the Tesla Model 3 Performance as modded with Koenigsegg by Unplugged Performance’s aftermarket spoiler and the front fender was shared on Tuesday, according to Motortrend.
The vehicle, dubbed Ascension R after the added hardware kit, was called the world’s fastest Model 3 by the publication, after being track tested at California’s Buttonwillow Raceway during a Tesla Corsa track day put on by the Unplugged Performance team.
Unplugged Performance Tesla Model 3 Team Details Car in Interview [VIDEO] https://t.co/6rNsQxjvJm
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) September 29, 2020
Unplugged Performance Co-Founder Ben Schaffer emphasized the Ascension R Model 3’s smooth ride and minimal drag penalty after being modded, saying that the already-impressive Model 3 units “only get better when you modify them.”
Schaffer went on to say, “What matters for a car like this is not just making downforce, but making clean downforce.”
Development driver Craig Coker in the Model 3 Ascension R set a 1:50.35 lap record; it beat a 991-generation Porsche GT3 RS’s time of 1:50.40. All this was thanks to some modifications that did not increase any horsepower on the Model 3 Performance.
The Tesla Model 3’s Ascension R kit was designed to be more aerodynamic and include a more deliberate emphasis on computational fluid dynamics – offering an even higher degree of efficiency than the stock Model 3 has to offer.
Ultimately, the Ascension R Model 3 track test showed Motortrend drivers that tuning vehicles won’t go anywhere with the EV revolution, especially with groups like Unplugged Performance holding space for those interested in EV tuning specifically.
