I don't know about that part. I might consider a model 3 as a DD. Will have to see how they are when they come out.

Also my boss's boss has likely better car guy creds than anyone on here and was one of the first purchasers of the roadster.

 

That was more of an electric Lotus than a soulless Tesla.

 

I wouldn't say they're polar opposites. Really, the model S is the ultimate embodiment of what the XJ and other large luxury sedans are. It's huge, it's silent, it's isolating. If the interior quality was better, it's basically the perfect executive sedan. And the interior can always be upgraded with a custom conversion. Here's a model X with a Bentley interior https://electrek.co/2017/03/17/tesla-model-x-bentley-interior/

As far as Model S speed, remember that the P100D does 0-60 in 2.3 seconds in ludicrous mode.

 

A Telsa will kick *** on just about anything. I saw a vid of a drag with an Aventador, it even won that up to about 100. The P100D matches the new Demon (single purpose car) at 60, but I'm sure that the Demon smokes it on the 1/4 mile.
I considered a Model S, rented a P90D through Turo.com. It actually handled OK for a ~5000 lb~ car. And the acceleration was just shocking. But it was just too huuuge for me, I like small cars. Joke's on me though, the F-Type, while two feet shorter, is as wide as a Model S! And the interior (other than the display) is really spartan for a $100K car.
Disclaimer - I put in an order for a Model 3 the first night, and I am about 250,000th in line. Production is supposed to start at the end of this year, but I figure I will see mine around 2019. That is IF I go that way, will have to see what else is out at the point.

 

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that - Tesla combines two things I have a great liking of - cars and technology. As an extremely rapid everyday transport packed with next gen technology its very compelling.

Plus I like their operating model - direct sales, constant updates via software releases over the air meaning everyone gets new features as they are released.

I would say I very much am a target for Tesla products as well as more traditional sports cars like the F Type.

 

Wow, this was a blast from the past. I started this thing nearly three years ago. Since then I’ve driven several Tesla’s on trips and while the S is still one of the best cars in the world, the X is something only its mother could love. Man was that ever a disappointment. Now recall the S is a large 4 door sedan, it is actually longer than my Infinity FX-35, the thing is huge.

Yet it will still beat, in its latest form, all but the very quickest supercars to 60. It’s center display pretty much makes every other in the market look like it came from last century with Volvo being the only car company that is close and they aren’t that close. In contrast our central display sucks, even after a number of updates, mostly you can now say it just sucks less. The Tesla handles rather well even though it weighs even more than our cars do (I’m still looking for the lead weights in my V8S because an all-aluminum car shouldn’t weigh this much). The Tesla is modular which means you can actually have it updated pretty cheaply.

I haven’t looked recently but the last time I did it cost something like $21K to have the initial S updated to the latest model. Wish Jaguar would do that and I could pick and choose the updates. If you haven’t driven one you should because it is actually a treat. Yes, it is quiet but not as quiet as you’d think (they do have to watch weight, and unlike our cars which have a trunk you could put your lunch in, the S is a hatch with a front trunk. Even in all wheel drive mode it’ll rival some vans is storage capacity. And, omg, the service experience. They come to you, drop off a newer Tesla for you to drive while they fix your car, and if you like the loaner better than your car, for a fee they’ll swap you. I hate going to the dealer (especially now as the closest is about two-hour drive).

So why don’t I own one. I’ve come close a couple times. But I tend to favor small performance cars. I have the two Jaguars for fun and two SUVs one an Infiniti FX with a big Stillen supercharger and one an GLA 45 AMG which actually is rather impressive to 30 MPH itself and is a 4 second 0-60 car.

If the X wasn’t such a techno nightmare I might have bought that but until they build the SUV that is coming based on the Model 3 I won’t be interested. I’m in line for the iPace and hope to be one of the first buyers for that car. As long as I have a couple hot V8s, having a quick electric isn’t that bad and I was at the iPace launch and it is a pretty thing.

I wrote the initial post because we were actually looking at both the Tesla S and the F-Type we ended up with. At the time one other huge problem was a lack of charging stations but that has improved a lot. But I don’t regret the Jaguar and it has a been and continues to be the most fun car I’ve ever owned though the new GLA is actually giving it a bit of a run for the money (and I drive it more).

 

Really who cares, ... how often is going to beat me? When I go to the drag strip I flog the F Type 10 times down the strip without problems ... yeah thought you wouldn't line up again ... a GTR will be beat every time too, still would never own one ...

 

Yes but the thing is it'll take you at any stop light any time and it is a huge 4 door hatch. I was just watching the latest run against a the top 911, yes the 911 caught it at the quarter but the S was 4 car lengths ahead at an 1/8th of a mile and you'll never race anyone on the street to a quarter unless you really want jail time. It is even surprisingly good (for a huge car) on twisties. It is too big for me too, but you really should drive one. It gives you a sense of how an infotainment system should be, what performance is possible, and you'll never feel acceleration like it has to 30 from anything but another electric. It does make you wonder what a new sports car might be like as an electric (I did try the old Tesla sports car but that Lotus body rattles and once you get rid of the engine noise, those rattles are REALLY annoying).

 

It is not how fast a machine can go but how that start, launch, acceleration feels when an engine not an electromotor pulls you! You can also go fast in a superspeed train or Gardaland catapult or videogame seat with a virtual horizont in the screen but there is no point of comparison in that. Why people collect old famous rare or historical cars? To cherish unique emotions, shapes, memories - come on! Did you hear any collector be proud of boxes of bateries and wires and some electrorotors????? Or any new smartphone screens or chargers?

 

Perhaps you should drive one before you judge it so harshly.
Here is a Tesla roadster - updated! Some dude is putting a Tesla motor & batteries into an Evora. Craa-zeee man.

 

Tesla may not be around in 5 years according to Bob Lutz. Tesla's have no heart or soul. They are a thing tree huggers in CA fall in love with and that's it. I bet most of the people here have never driven one or even sat in one. You should if you have not and you will see what most of us are talking about. We are members of the Jaguar club for a reason and that reason is we are car people. Tesla drivers are NOT car people...

 

What utter nonsense. A friend of mine has a Maserati Gran Turismo MC Shift, Boxster and a Tesla P85D. He is absolutely a car guy. I have both passengered in and driven the Tesla. It's excellent as everyday transport. And yes I absolutely consider myself a car person having owned many sports cars including Ferrari, Porsche and Lotus.

 

[What utter nonsense. A friend of mine has a Maserati Gran Turismo MC Shift, Boxster and a Tesla P85D. He is absolutely a car guy. I have both passengered in and driven the Tesla. It's excellent as everyday transport. And yes I absolutely consider myself a car person having owned many sports cars including Ferrari, Porsche and Lotus.]

Well I don't know what to tell you. I guess your one of those people that just like anything. I think the Tesla is nothing but a fancy Prius! Most boring cars on earth to drive. Speed does not make a car great otherwise Corvettes would cost as must as Ferrari's. Anyone who chooses a Tesla over a S-Class is just nuts in my book. To each his own I guess.

 

Driving a Tesla or other el-cars is like watching a silent movie....

Someting is missing.

 

WraithSKA2, dial it back a bit, OK? Just because you don't like Tesla doesn't mean everyone else is nuts.

 

Are you also going to tell us that Corvettes are bad cars?

 

That's funny, because I was under the impression that we were car guys because we loved the performance and style and feel of cars. Apparently, though, all that matters is that it makes a loud noise, making Civics with eBay mufflers the pinnacle of automotive expression.

The Tesla is silent, sure, but it's fast and it handles quite well for what it is (a giant full-size sedan), and is quite attractive, even if the interior quality is a little down-market. And anyone who genuinely believe that it will "be gone in 5 years" is frankly just buying in to the most recent fad of disparaging Tesla. They have enough momentum and assets that even if they ran out of money today, they would still be going give years from now. A company that large takes a long time to fall apart, and we'd see warning signs long before the final collapse.

 

Wow the Tesla hate is sure pronounced. A lot of folks don't like change and comparing a Tesla to a Prius is like comparing a our cars to moped, or a Mercedes Maybach to a Smart Car. If that isn't Trolling it is certainly ill informed. But, having talked to Ford about this, and spoken to folks at GM, it is clear there is a pretty solid wall of people in the car industry that don't get things are changing. Reminds me of what happened in Smartphones with Apple, folks in the industry refused to see the coming wave, and it broke over them. The Tesla isn't just a revolution in power source, that is really the minor issue, it is a revolution in how you build, sell, and support cars. More modular than anything a typical car company does, (more in line with how you build computer systems), sold more like Apple sells in their own branded stores, and supported like appliances in your home are supported at the high end. Someone just comes in and takes care of the issue (in fact I'd place Tesla against pretty much any appliance OEM as providing a better service experience right now). I expect were Jaguar to adopt everything Tesla does but keep the engines they have we'd all be a ton happier and more loyal. I expect one of the car companies will figure this out, I'm just not expecting it to be one of the big existing ones.

 

The Tesla is a great achievement. My hate is directed at Elon Musk for wanting to take the driver out of the car entirely. What driverless car is ever going to take advantage of that 2.7 second 0-60 time?

 

I admire the Tesla's achievement with about the same degree of conviction that I know that I don't want one.

The zero to 60 is impressive but it's only one of a handful of performance measurements and the only one that the car is really stellar at (and to correct an earlier post, the new Dodge Demon destroys every production car in the 1/4 including all Teslas)

Yes they're fast and no, I don't want one. Seems about as exciting to me as riding a bullet train or an elevator.


Dave