Watch a Tesla Model 3 Lap the Laguna Seca Circuit on Track Day

In fact, it's safe to say the same goes for every electric car. It's not there aren't any battery-powered vehicles out there capable of hurting ICE sports cars or supercars on a track - just think of the Rimac Concept_One or the NIO EP9, if you want to go even further - but not enough time has passed for people to associate this type of propulsion with motorsport.

The wheels are definitely in motion with the Formula E now into its fourth season and other competitions already on the horizon: the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, the Electric GT, and even an electric spin-off of the Moto GP. There is a future for electricity in motorsport, but the present is still... "meh." At least by comparison.

Teslas, on the other hand, have had a reputation for cars that can accelerate really hard, but don't handle themselves so well in corners. Their massive weight also meant they couldn't keep it up for long under track-driving conditions, so it's much more likely to find one on the drag strip than any other looped track.

But one of the things everyone who drove a Model 3 - even those who aren't particular fans of the brand - agreed so far is that it handles excellently. Not just for an electric car, but for any other type. Comparisons with the BMW 3 Series have often been made, and the Bimmer didn't come on top.

However, the only Model 3 version that's on the streets right now is a relatively modest one regarding its performance. It only has one motor, which means it's rear-wheel-driven (not a bad thing on the track, but AWD would surely make coming out of a corner a much more aggressive affair) and it doesn't have the "P" designation, which means it'll only do 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, which isn't great by Tesla standards.

That didn't keep Matt Crowley from taking his to a track day on the famous Laguna Seca circuit - a pretty tough track that will put a strain on most cars. Matt admits the Model 3 wasn't his first choice: the Porsche Cayman GT4 had its check engine light come on a day before the event, so he had to think quick or miss the chance.

In the end, he took the electric sedan and you can check out below how it turned out. We'll just say that the silent running is pretty eerie in a scenario where we're used to hearing a constant engine roar. There's also a bit of understeering at some point as Matt probably got carried away staying close to a modded BMW 3 Series that had just overtaken him.

But just before you get the wrong impression and think the Model 3 might not be such a bad car to take racing, watch the second clip as well. That's where Matt shows us the condition of the brakes after returning from the circuit. Spoiler: the brake pads are completely gone (but that's to be expected from any car designed for road use).