Tesla Model 3 Performance and 400 HP Honda NSX Clear Up Track in France

Of course, in a lot of these cases, it's more the skill of the driver, their familiarity with the circuit, and their willingness to push the vehicle to its limits that make the difference and not the car itself. Yet buying an expensive track-oriented 911 with racing pedigree only to be overtaken by a sedan with room for five and a road trip-friendly trunk must sting a little.

Well, if the Model 3 weren't this good on a track, Tesla wouldn't have given it a "Track Pack" in the first place. And if that weren't a success of its own, it wouldn't have made a second version of it (V2) that is now available for all new Model 3s in Performance trim. That's what Sebastien Vittel (not to be confused with Sebastian Vettel of Formula One fame) is driving in this clip that sees him follow a 400 horsepower heavily-modified Honda NSX with a "good" driver (according to Sebastien's evaluation) behind the wheel.

The video starts and ends with the Model 3 trailing the NSX, but throughout the nearly five minutes of the clip, the pair overtake a host of other cars, including a couple of Porsche Cayman GT4s and the Porsche 911 GT3 we mentioned earlier.

As weird as it may have seemed at first, EVs actually do belong on the track. Their low center of mass due to the positioning of the battery pack and motors makes them quite nimble, and the now famous instant torque makes accelerating out of turns a breeze.

The two things holding them back is their weight and limited range, though one might argue that 30 minutes of non-stop track action, which is the time Sebastien reported before having to head for the nearest Supercharger, isn't that bad. Besides, after 30 minutes plugged in, the Model 3 was back at 90% SOC and ready to go again. We all could use a half-an-hour break after the same amount of time spent on the track.

But this clip raises one question we didn't really think about until now: is it OK to listen to music - even if it's good music - while doing a hot lap? Sure, there's no engine sound to keep an ear out for, but there are still other things such as the tires squealing. Plus, it's still a distraction. On the other hand, it sure makes watching the video more enjoyable for us, especially since the noise of that NSX still breaks through, so maybe we shouldn't complain.