SO HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

longitudinal forces without drama or apparent effort. With no gears to swap the Performance can deliver instantly, there’s no pause between pressing the throttle and feeling the surge.

It makes for a car that is remarkably easy to drive quickly but which also delivers unflustered and near-silent progress at everyday speeds. No other EV at anything close to this price point delivers similar straight-line thrust.

The chassis copes well with the huge loads being put through it, although the Model 3 never feels as playful as the best conventional sports sedans. The ride is firm but body control is excellent over rougher surfaces.

The Performance is a heavy car (about 1850kg) and that feels obvious in slower turns or when it’s asked to change direction quickly.

Inside, the minimalist ethos creates a cabin that feels almost empty compared to a more conventional car — the enormous tablet-style touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard is the defining feature.

Almost everything has to be done through this interface, even opening the glovebox or adjusting cabin temperature. Space is good in the front and reasonable in the back.

You don’t need to look too hard to find flaws. Some of the interior fit-and-finish would feel iffy in a car costing far less, with exposed wires under the front seats and some very low-rent plastics in less-exposed places.

Overall the Model 3 is a remarkable piece of engineering and a reminder of how far the rest of the industry must go to build a true Tesla-beater.