The Tesla Model 3 Will Gain A Hot Flagship Next Year

Tesla is already working on a faster, range-topping Model 3, according to reports, as the very first examples of the car start to leave the factory.

Auto Express claims that Elon Musk has approved a performance ‘P’-badged flagship for the 3, and has pencilled it in for the middle of next year. While we have no details of how the car might take shape, for the Models S and X the company added an extra motor, all-wheel drive and bigger batteries for more power.

At present there are two Model 3 choices: the standard car with a 220-mile range and a 0-60mph time of 5.6 seconds, and a ‘Long Range’ upgrade with potential for 310 miles per charge, a top speed of 140mph and a 0-60mph sprint measuring 5.1 seconds. Any performance version will drop that figure down into the four-second window.

The firm is, at present, ramping up production as quickly as it can in an attempt to make a dent in the hundreds of thousands of customer orders that have already been placed. Tesla’s production plans are seriously ambitious, with the aim of churning out as many as half a million cars per year by next year. We can’t see that happening, frankly…