Tesla

dbarnblatt · #1 02-02-2013, 06:21 PM

I met a friend on Thursday and he surprised me with a Tesla Model S in his garage.

After lunch he took me through the car in detail then went for a drive. I was behind the wheel.

I'm no fan of most new cars out these days. Too generic and no soul.

The Tesla is different. It's an amazing car... The passion behind it is very apparent.

It’s so far from Detroit. It’s smart, It feels like something from Silicon Valley, if that makes any sense. I truly felt that I was sitting in a first example of a new era for car engineering/design, and Detroit and the other automakers need to hustle.

Beyond the fact that the performance is downright insane, the acceleration is ungodly fast, every detail is well thought out. From the door handles to the 17" touch screen to the volume control that "goes to 11." (Homage to Spinal Tap)

Tesla will be a major force in a few years as they start to produce lower cost models.

A great car...

Untitled by dbarnblatt, on Flickr

Blacky · #2 02-02-2013, 07:00 PM

Ya gotta love those electric motors, full power and torque at any RPM.
The three Tesla cars are very nice looking and have incredible performance. A little expensive perhaps but technology is not cheap.
Nice shot of the two cars.

P.S. Check the wheelbase to see about doing a body swap with your car.

Conn SVX · #3 02-02-2013, 07:48 PM

I am in love with the S 2 door coupe. I do also like the X with the wing doors. 0 to 60 in 5.4 sec not bad . They say it feels even faster, $60,000 not bad since you have no Gas, no CEL,no emission test,no exhaust repair, no tune ups, etc. and there is a Fed kick back.

SVXRide · #4 02-02-2013, 08:46 PM

MT Car of the Year

Elon does magical things when he sets his mind to them! (yeah, I get to deal with his SpaceX company

)

Bill

SVX92-97 · #5 02-02-2013, 08:56 PM

it looks too much like a lot of other cars on the road

dbarnblatt · #6 02-02-2013, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVX92-97

it looks too much like a lot of other cars on the road

That I agree with. Even the owner was, I quote, "yeah... I guess it is in the upper 50% looks-wise, compared to other new cars on the road." Meaning a bland sort of OK looking car that falls somewhere between a Lexus and a BMW.

But looks are really the last thing I think about when it comes to this car. It really boils down to "who cares what it looks like, everything else is so good." And the looks are so unoffensive that it falls short of preventing you wanting this car.

icingdeath88 · #7 02-02-2013, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbarnblatt

And the looks are so unoffensive that it falls short of preventing you wanting this car.

Agree 100%. It's maybe a bit of an over-correction from the tesla roadster. But I if people on an SVX forum think it's "bland" then it ought to sell really well to the similarly bland masses.

SilverSpear · #8 02-02-2013, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVX92-97

it looks too much like a lot of other cars on the road

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbarnblatt

That I agree with. Even the owner was, I quote, "yeah... I guess it is in the upper 50% looks-wise, compared to other new cars on the road." Meaning a bland sort of OK looking car that falls somewhere between a Lexus and a BMW.

But looks are really the last thing I think about when it comes to this car. It really boils down to "who cares what it looks like, everything else is so good." And the looks are so unoffensive that it falls short of preventing you wanting this car.

The looks of this car create in you some kind of mixed feelings as to whether to buy it or wait for a better looking design.

Well if you remove the "T" from the grille and put an italic "H", you would actually believe its a Hyundai

dbarnblatt · #9 02-02-2013, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverSpear

The looks of this car create in you some kind of mixed feelings as to whether to buy it or wait for a better looking design.

Well if you remove the "T" from the grille and put an italic "H", you would actually believe its a Hyundai

I wouldn't go that far. The car is quite impressive in person. Very substantial. It is 2" wider than a BMW 7 series, large overall with a very impressive interior.

Pictures don't do it justice...

Sean486 · #10 02-03-2013, 06:08 AM

It's a beautiful car it you want a sedan, the front end works particularly well. It actually has some similiar lines to the SVX.

Conn SVX · #11 02-03-2013, 07:18 AM

Much more exciting in person. And in black with the blacked out chrome it is stunning

benebob · #12 02-03-2013, 09:29 AM

How much does it tow? Sadly, the limits of any electric vehicles relegate them to nothing more than a 2nd vehicle for 95% of the country. As nice as it looks. It is a toy, not a car.

SVXRide · #13 02-03-2013, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benebob

How much does it tow? Sadly, the limits of any electric vehicles relegate them to nothing more than a 2nd vehicle for 95% of the country. As nice as it looks. It is a toy, not a car.

Come on now, Ben, how many people actually know how to tow anything anymore?

Given how much they are going for, is anyone actually surprised at the conservative nature of its styling? What I'm impressed with is that you can order it with two rear-facing seats (shades of my youth!!) so you could haul around six people.

My on-going issue with all-electrics is their range and the availability of quick-chargers (the equivalent of gas stations for all electrics) across the U.S. Elon has addressed this in California and some other western states by funding the building of such locations, but there needs to be something done on a much broader scale.

Bill (still looking for his MegaBall win to support the purchase of a Tesla roadster

)

WYOSVX · #14 02-03-2013, 10:01 AM

I see no design flaws. The car is beautiful, especially in darker tones. And I know the SVX looks a lot better in real life than in pics so am not surprised that it's the same for the Tesla. It seems to me that there is a lot of convergence among design engineers. I haven't been shopping for new cars in a while but I imagine that fit and finish might be where that convergence ends.

As far as towing: to me, this car is in the same class as BMW, Mercedes, Audi luxury cars. Don't see a lot of them being used to tow. That's when they pull out their $70K Suburban.

This car is awesome but it's not gonna fit everyone and isn't meant to- it's no model T or VW. Maybe the Volt will do that one of these days for electric.

I'm pretty sure I'd trade my SVX in on something like this. I think the SVX was a game changer and can see its design traits spread out to other car companies. Maybe the Tesla can have that effect.

dbarnblatt · #15 02-03-2013, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benebob

How much does it tow? Sadly, the limits of any electric vehicles relegate them to nothing more than a 2nd vehicle for 95% of the country. As nice as it looks. It is a toy, not a car.

Tow? Who tows?! Usually cars that tow stuff ARE the 2nd vehicle for most people.

The Tesla and other electric vehicles are the perfect FIRST vehicle for someone to own, since 99% of all driving tasks are done within 10 miles of people's residences.

Thats the whole point.

But, I guess if you were to tow something it has 443 lb-ft of torque and 416 hp... so it can pretty much tow a house.