Tesla Model 3: What will it look like?

Since Tesla Motors announced that it topped 50,000 vehicles in 2015 with its Model X production ramping quickly, the next big question is… what's the scoop with the forthcoming Tesla Model 3? Since some details about the car have been released (more below), one of the most anticipated elements of the Model 3 is the overall design aesthetic of the vehicle.

Source: ValueWalk

According to ValueWalk, "One designer at least believes he has an idea of what the Model 3 will look like physically. Designer Theophilus Chin has recently sketched [see above] his own striking impression of this forthcoming electric vehicle... While this particular design should certainly be taken with a liberal sprinkling of salt, it is reasonable to expect something dramatic from Tesla once the Model 3 is released. This vehicle will be up against some serious competition when it finally goes public, with the Model 3 very much in the same category of vehicle as such heavyweights as the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A3."

Source: InsideEVs

And, a few days ago, we noticed a mysterious tweet claiming to have captured an image of a Tesla Model 3 prototype, seems somewhat suspicious but let's take a look anyhow (see below)…

Tesla Model 3 spotted in X presentation. Looks like S but different details #model3 #modeliii @CNETCarTech @Jalopnik pic.twitter.com/JVAWY8H80s

— khaydar (@luxendaryny) January 3, 2016

According to Electrek, the projected $35,000 base price Model 3 could have some dramatic design details to improve aerodynamics, "A new source with connections at Tesla’s design group has informed me that late stage tweaking of the Model 3 is being done with an eye towards extreme minimization of wind resistance... The mass market Tesla is expected to be a smaller sedan/crossover platform that resembles the BMW 3 series in size. The range of the vehicle is expected to start at 200 miles and go up from there with various-size batteries and drivetrains... What I’m hearing internally is that CEO Elon Musk is intensely driving the engineering designers to deliver a design with a drag coefficient lower than .20 which would make it the lowest of any mass production car in the world and close to extreme vehicles like GM’s EV1 and Volkswagen’s XL1 [see image below]."

Source: Electrek

Regardless of design direction, Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave some additional visibility on Model 3 timing. In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC this week, Musk addressed the Model 3: "Its founder admitted that its future would depend on the cheaper Model 3 version, which he said would go into production at the end of 2017. [Musk explained] 'Unless there's an affordable car, we will only have a small impact on the world… We need to make a car that most people can afford, in order to have a substantial impact.” Check out the video below for the full interview…

Source: Rory Cellan-Jones

And, last week Tesla confirmed (once again) that the big reveal is coming in March: "“Tesla said on Wednesday it plans to unveil the design for the Model 3 in March and start selling the car in 2017. 'Model 3 is on schedule,' Tesla spokeswoman Khobi Brooklyn wrote in an email Wednesday.” So we’ll know the design direction soon enough, but, as the suspense builds... we’ll be sure keep you posted on any Tesla Model 3 updates.