As always, it's hard to make sure that the Tesla sales numbers are accurate, but according to various analysts and research companies, the Model Y was the overall best-selling car in the world, overturning the eternal Toyota Corolla series from the throne.
Interestingly, the cheaper and closely related Model 3 cannot be too far behind its sibling – especially since the Highland update has reached various parts of the world, like Europe and China, before the end of the year. The momentum for the EV sedan will indeed carry on into 2024 because the American company just launched the refreshed version in its home market with an attractive pricing strategy.
Two models are currently available – RWD from $39k and Long Range from $46k with 341 miles of range and a 4.2-second zippy time to 60 mph. Interestingly, we're not even talking about the Performance model, and it's already delivering sprint times that a few years ago were considered the panache of high-performance sports cars. Speaking of, has anyone seen how many GR Supra vehicles were sold by Toyota last year in the US?
The figures are shameful, to say the least – a disappointing 2,652 vehicles. That's probably the delivery performance of Tesla's Model 3 during a slow day! Anyway, that makes it less prone to seeing a GR Supra duke it out with a Model 3, right? Let alone two of them! Alas, the wonderful realm of quarter-mile dragstrips makes anything possible.
More precisely, the videographer behind the Wheels Plus channel on YouTube is a big fan of Bandimere Speedway (aka Thunder Mountain) in Colorado and Mission Raceway Park (aka Thunder by the River) in Canada but also loves The Strip. Yes, the one in Nevada – although now we are talking about The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway rather than the most famous street in town.
Over there, there are four glorious lanes for quarter-mile shenanigans, but a couple of Tesla Model 3s only needed two of them to show us why it's better to spend your hard-earned cash on an EV sedan rather than shell out between $47k and over $65k on a BMW, sorry, Toyota GR Supra. First, a black Supra thought it could intimidate an equally dark and menacing Model 3 but was soon lost in a trail of dust as the EV won square and fair: 11.61s versus 13.77s!
Secondly, a crimson GR Supra tried to enact revenge for the previous loss and instead suffered a massive loss of honor rather than blood when it got dropped far behind by a white knight Model 3 that posted an 11.73s ET against Toyota's laughable 15.05s result. After that, the black Supra returned to battle with more appropriate ICE-powered foes like an Audi and an older Mustang – only to get destroyed in the process…
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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