Unplugged Performance has rebuilt the Tesla Model 3 Pikes Peak that crashed two years ago.
At the Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2020, US racing driver Joshua Allan drove a Tesla Model 3. The Californian tuners from Unplugged Performance had converted the Model 3 into a mountain racing machine. Since the oxygen content of the air decreases with every meter of altitude when racing up to the 4,301 meter high Pikes Peak, electric cars have an advantage over vehicles with combustion engines. It was not for nothing that VW set the course record of 7:57,148 minutes on Pikes Peak with its purely electrically driven ID.R on Pikes Peak in 2018 - before that no other car had chased the mountain near Colorado Springs in less than eight minutes up. However, Allan was unlucky in 2020: in one of the 156 curves he flew off and rolled over. He himself posted on Instagram as a reason at the time that he had had too little sleep. Now Unplugged Performance has rebuilt the Model 3. Racer Craig Coker and the tuners themselves posted pictures on Instagram.
More downforce and more power
The specialists at Unplugged Performance have named the restored Model 3 Bionic Phoenix – after all, in Greek mythology, the phoenix bird keeps rising from its ashes. The tuners took the opportunity and massively modified the car that was badly damaged in the accident. Now there is even more aerodynamics designed for downforce: a maximum of 1,814 kg of downforce should be possible. The tuners have replaced the entire front section with a closed carbon fiber apron that looks wild, rough and used. Two large air openings gape in the front hood, which supply fresh air to a cooler underneath.
The mechanics from Unplugged Performance have also permanently changed the interior. The driver now sits in a central position and the roll cage surrounding him is designed to be even more robust than before. In addition, according to the tuners, they have revised the entire drive train, which is now significantly more powerful than before. The wheels used are 19-inch UP-03 alloy wheels, which are 13 inches (33 centimeters) wide. They are covered with Yokohama racing slicks.
Racing again
A large part of the body of this Model 3 is made of carbon. By clearing out the interior and using lightweight materials, Unplugged Performance has lightened the car by 250 kilos. However, the steel cage, new chassis components and the extreme aerodynamic measures bring weight back into the vehicle - in the end there is a saving of 90 kilograms compared to the production model.
Unplugged Performance will be using the freshly built Model 3 racer again at short notice - next at Buttonwillow Raceway, located about 200 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. "This car is already damn fast, when it's finished it's going to be crazy." says racing driver Craig Coker.
Conclusion
The Tesla Model 3 that crashed at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 2020 was apparently still good enough: The Californian tuners from Unplugged Performance have now saved it. And not only have they rebuilt the car, it has more downforce and more power than before, plus the driver now sits in the middle. US racing driver Craig Coker wants to take part in races with the resurrected Model 3 this year.
