By Colin Wood
Sep 2, 2020
Quiet traditionally hasn’t been the word used to describe the machines made to conquer Pikes Peak, but as Unplugged Performance's Tesla Model 3 shows, it’s quickly becoming the new norm.
Famed driver Randy Pobst was tasked with getting the Tesla to the top of the mountain as quickly as possible, finishing second in class after an off-course incident during practice cast doubts on the team’s effort to take the green flag.
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9/2/20 12:48 p.m.
Hell of a job getting that car to the start line. And 11:15 isn't exactly a terrible time historically. A few things I noticed:
Randy was on oxygen. I can understand that, but I'd never considered it.
The car was down on performance - he says so in the video description. I wonder why? You could hear him talking to it around Ski Area. It came across as derating due to heat. Maybe the cooling system for the battery pack wasn't at full health after the rebuild.
Randy talks to the car while driving :)
I'm pretty sure they changed out the glass roof for plastic. It seemed like an awfully light tint with some non-production sealer visible. Sure made the car look light inside.
Even when you strip absolutely everything out of a Model 3, you keep the screen :D
The display on the screen isn't one I recognize, although maybe it's a Performance thing. Seemed to show battery pack health (that red can't be good) and possibly traction control activation.
9/2/20 12:52 p.m.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Most of the drivers now are on oxygen. It's become a lot more common for the last few years. Randy talks about it on another video.
I would guess the performance reduction was heat related. It's been one of the hottest August on record on the front range.
9/2/20 1:09 p.m.
Yeah, we've been hot forever too. I don't think that's the problem, though. Assuming that center display is showing battery temp, it went red pretty darn quickly. Given the work done to that car, I think something isn't quite working to full spec. Cracking into the cooling system of the battery pack is not something you're supposed to do.
I'm not surprised the drivers use oxygen, it makes perfect sense. I'd just never thought about it before.
9/2/20 1:14 p.m.
I'd been wondering what the bottle was. I was wondering to myself about a total loss auxiliary battery cooling setup...
Damage to the cooling setup makes sense. In the shop bits, it seemed like there was no shortage of mangled and displaced tubes.
9/2/20 1:44 p.m.
That car doesn't have nearly as much roll cage as I would expect, especially considering the likelihood of flying off down a rock garden. Seems like way less bars than a standard stage rally cage.
9/2/20 2:37 p.m.
The PPIR rules do require a fairly hefty cage. The Model 3 is fairly spacious inside, so it may be easier to package than in a smaller stage rally car.
9/2/20 3:17 p.m.
In reply to newrider3 :
There is no Kick-Downs which I thought was interesting.
9/2/20 3:45 p.m.
They're just (nearly) hidden in that photo. They're behind the diagonal bar from that perspective.
9/2/20 4:48 p.m.
Thank you. I enjoyed that. Eerily quiet. No spinning tires no squealing brakes No flashy over steer or under steer. I could see the speed but the other senses weren't there.
I'll have to take his word for lack of power.
9/2/20 5:12 p.m.
What is base and peak elevation?
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