Project03 - The Story so far.
We've already written about our brave (some may say reckless) decision to buy the UK's cheapest Tesla Model 3 Performance blind from an auction.
Well, although the car was a bit tired, we were pleasantly surprised at how together an older Model 3 like this was to drive and live with. No serious faults surfaced in those first drives, although the suspension betrayed the higher mileage.
Now begins the serious work: we've got about 5 weeks to see if we could convert this unloved, £10k fleet car into something that could surprise a few people around the notorious Nürburgring.
Never has the 'Ring's nickname of the 'Green Hell' seemed as apt than at the prospect of tackling it in a tired old EV that's more usually associated with (claimed) green credentials!
The Upgrade Plan
The philosophy for Project03 was always to keep the car road-usable and reliable, choosing only from PWRD's catalogue of current and upcoming Model 3 upgrades - so, no 'trick' one-off race parts here. All modifications are to be bolt-on, reversible, and leave the battery and motors untouched.
Which means that nothing about the car's package of modifications (OK, apart from the rather colourful livery) stops this car from being a pleasure to use daily; that's not something you can say for most track-focussed car builds.
Suspension & Handling
Our starting point, and the most important aspect for us to get right on this car was in the suspension department.
High-mileage Teslas suffer badly from worn bushes — and with their weight and power, it’s no surprise. We fitted a full set of PWRD adjustable front and rear suspension arms, replacing key rubber joints with spherical bearings for improved precision. The adjustability lets owners fine-tune geometry - whether their priority is for performance, efficiency, or tyre life.
Now, with the full set of PWRD arms installed, a newfound level of precision and tightness has returned to Project03's steering and suspension responses. It's right back to a better-than-new condition. The driving difference is immediately obvious.
It reinforces to us just what a great upgrade this is to make to any high-mileage Tesla, no matter what its intended usage is.
To complement this, we installed the PWRD Coilover Suspension with 3-way adjustability, superior damping control, and ride height tuning. Front and rear adjustable anti-roll bars with drop-links complete the dynamic transformation at each corner.
Brakes & Wheels
Factory cast Tesla wheels are prone to cracking under hard use, so we swapped our heavily kerbed, cracked originals for our rather stunning lightweight PWRD 20”x9.5” Forged Alloys. A set of PWRD Wheel Spacers and aluminium Wheel Nuts sharpen the stance.
Behind them sit our upgraded 2-piece brake discs (enlarged to 380mm front), paired with uprated PWRD brake pads and stainless steel brake lines.
Interestingly, having considered the standard (Brembo-made) Performance calipers, our engineers decided that, other than a pad-change, there was no need to upgrade this pretty highly-specced brake hardware.
Interior
For track readiness, the original seats made way for PWRD Cobra fixed race seats, providing secure support during hard cornering. Whilst the standard Tesla seats are pretty comfortable, it was immediately obvious that the soft cushioning and slippy faux-leather wouldn't give the driver the confidence-inspiring feel that this car deserves.
Finishing Touches
With Project03's multitude of newfound suspension adjustability, a really good set-up and alignment was a vital last stage of our preparation.
Working with the team at String Theory, set-up experts more used to precision engineering Porsche and BMW track cars, we found a real sweet spot of dynamic handling responses, settling on a firm yet comfortable ride quality from the dampers.
Think of how a premium German sports saloon would ride, and that gives you an idea of the Model 3's new dynamics. These settings would handle the bumps and kerbs of the Nürburgring as adeptly as the long-haul European motorways needed to get us there. A real transformation to the car's dynamics, and well worth the effort to get the set-up just right.
Lastly, a prominent PWRD livery was applied to help it stand out on the track. But, perhaps ironically, this simplest of mods is actually the one change that we've made to the car that may stop you using this Model 3 as a daily driver!
The Result
With roughly £6,000 in parts on top of our £10k purchase, Project03 is simply transformed into a surprisingly affordable, track-capable EV. It’s clearly extremely fast, but now agile, taught and confidence-inspiring on circuit. Yet, with no irreversible changes, it reverts to being an efficient, comfortable daily driver the moment you leave the circuit gates. Our journey to and from the 'Ring was as comfortable, easy and cheap a journey as you'd enjoy in any Tesla.
And honestly - we still can't think of many ICE cars for £10k that would lap the Nürburgring as quickly as this Tesla can, yet remain as usable, economical and reliable.
The Bigger Picture
So we genuinely believe that Project03 is ready to prove a point: for a fraction of the cost of a comparably quick ICE track car, you can have an EV that’s just as exciting in almost every respect, other than lacking the visceral engine noise and perhaps the pleasure of that perfectly-timed downshift...
Whether the enthusiast community agrees remains to be seen — but we’ll soon be meeting them at the Nürburgring to make our case!
Coming next - Part 3: getting Project03 out on track.
The time has come - read how we debuted our Model 3 at the Nurburgring
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