In January, Tesla unveiled the upgrade to the world’s best-selling car, the Model Y electric SUV. At the time, only two variants were available for owners to purchase, the single-motor RWD and the dual-motor AWD, with the Performance variant missing.
Now, a photo showing the front of the car has come to the surface, hinting Tesla’s fastest Performance-focused SUV is not too far from launching.
In the photo shared on X by DevinOlsenn, the new Performance in ultra-red is spotted parked in a car park with cars on either side.
New wheels are spotted, which are similar to those seen in wrapped cars being tested in May. These are likely 21-inch forged wheels that replace the Uberturbine wheels on the previous generation of the top-spec Performance Model Y variant.
These wheels also appear to be similar to 21-inch Arachnid wheels from the tri-motor Model S Plaid, Tesla’s fastest car to date.
There is also a redesigned front bumper with more aero kit on it, helping divert more air to the brakes.
Another key difference is a frontal bumper splitter that sits quite low to the ground, providing better handling around faster sections of the track.
This also hints at a new track mode for the upcoming Performance model, given the more aggressive styling and track-focused aero features.
The latest sighting comes around 6 weeks after the first images of the Performance variant emerged, showing this variant’s testing at the world-famous Nurburgring track.
Those images also showed a much bigger rear lip spoiler, hinting at a much more performance-focused car than its predecessor.
The car being tested at the track was also sitting lower, hinting at upgrades to suspension for better on-road handling and performance. That would be in-line with what the Tesla Model 3 Performance received before it was launched.
That model was launched in Australia in Q1 of 2024 and featured multiple updates, including improvements in acceleration and a wider torque band for sustained performance on high-speed sections of the track.
On the pricing front, the new Model Y Performance is expected to be closer to the previous generation car with prices of around $80,000 before on-roads.
The new Model Y currently available in our local market includes the entry-level RWD variant, which starts from $58,900 before on-roads. This can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, making it one of the quickest single-motor cars on the market.
A top-spec dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) variant costs $68,900 before on-roads, slashing that time to just 4.8 seconds.
This AWD variant also comes with a bigger battery that has up to 551 km of range, instead of 466 km seen on the single-motor RWD car.
The upcoming Performance variant is expected to have a lower range than the AWD variant, mainly due to bigger wheels and will be geared towards a niche set of customers, wanting practicality and a need for occasional speed.
With the exact launch timing of this more driver-focused Model Y still unknown, we expect an unveil in the coming weeks, with local deliveries likely to start in Q4 this year.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
