My neighbor let me take his P90D for a spin in the hills. WOW! The acceleration is face-peeling, gut-punching, gobsmacking. Launch mode in Ludicrous + and it nearly makes you sick.
I actually thought the big girl could handle too! I loved it!
My neighbor let me take his P90D for a spin in the hills. WOW! The acceleration is face-peeling, gut-punching, gobsmacking. Launch mode in Ludicrous + and it nearly makes you sick.
I actually thought the big girl could handle too! I loved it!
The model 3 performance made my 11 sec CTSV feel like my 4Runner. Totally different animals but wow.
Yeah, wow was my sentiment. That sounds about right. The fastest cars I had driven prior were probably a 997 911 Carrera S, a Viper, and Lexus IS-F. The Model S was much, much faster. Like you said, totally different animal, but yeah, the experience was truly a game changer.
During the launch, I actually had a hard time focusing on driving due to my guts and brain being scrambled.
I'd like to try an Model 3 as a point of reference as I tend to like a smaller car. Not that I had any complaints about the Model S. I've heard a lot of folks throwing shade on Telsas, but I really walked away feeling amazed. And I love old school, basic, fun cars with lots of driver involvement.
This is just something totally different, and I really enjoyed it!
Yep, my first experience was same as yours. I got out and thought "well, it's all different now".
I've driven the dual motor model 3, and it feels like someone bolted an oversized turbo to my ICE and somehow it is always spooled up at full boost.
That said, the interior is drab and despite the weight sitting low, while it may turn well, it never quite feels agile. 4500 lbs will do that for you.
One of the guys from the Porsche club said that he took one around Lime Rock.
His advice: Don't ever try to race against a Tesla...unless it's an endurance race.
At one point, a motorcycle was in front of me (couldn't tell the make/model, looked like a touring bike) and it overtook a car. I decided to try to overtake the same car in the next few seconds with some encouragement from my neighbor, and had to SLOW DOWN so as not to get too close to the motorcycle. We started at 45 MPH and when I looked down I saw 94 MPH.
Everything is just a point and squirt affair. It's just unreal!
In reply to Kreb (Forum Supporter) :
Yeah, it's not exactly agile or tossable, but it did everything I asked of it, even in some tight corners. I thought it was going to be worse than it was based on the things I had read. It can handle.
They are incredibly fast, especially from a dig. The Tesla Model Y that I drove was insane, it would embarrass my M4
CyberEric said:At one point, a motorcycle was in front of me (couldn't tell the make/model, looked like a touring bike) and it overtook a car. I decided to try to overtake the same car in the next few seconds with some encouragement from my neighbor, and had to SLOW DOWN so as not to get too close to the motorcycle. We started at 45 MPH and when I looked down I saw 94 MPH.
Everything is just a point and squirt affair. It's just unreal!
As fast as they are, depending on the motorcycle, they dont stand a chance from a roll. I spanked a Model S P100 on my 20 year old R1 from about 50 mph through 3rd gear. 430 lbs/155 hp is fast. My S1000RR is even worse at 204 hp 
And that Model Y DID handle!!
When driven at an auto cross, they melt tires and the rotors glow. Boy, they are that fast.
Having been taken for laps at events, they are that violent. Breath taking and require planning your line way in advance.
If you not have to pay for the consumables, awesome!
EVs are redefining what "fast" means. The Model S Plaid has to be approaching the limit of acceleration for a street car. Even with AWD, tires become a limit at some point, and there's a limit to how much acceleration your average human can take without getting sick.
But they still feel a bit too antiseptic to me. Cars get their personality from their engines to a large extent, IMO. But this has to have the supercar makers rethinking things a bit. I don't think there's an ICE-powered Lambo, Ferarri, or McLaren that can beat a Model S Plaid in a straight line. So it has to become more about the experience, not just the speed.
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:EVs are redefining what "fast" means... But they still feel a bit too antiseptic to me. Cars get their personality from their engines to a large extent, IMO.
Agreed. And steering feel is a big deal too. I get to drive a Model 3 Performance pretty often, and it’s the total absence of steering feedback and engine note that anesthetize the driving experience. My Boxster is so much slower and even has less cornering prowess—but it feels so much more alive to drive.
jr02518 said:
If you not have to pay for the consumables (or a Tesla), awesome!
I test drove a model S twice, and both times I've left the car with an ear-to-ear grin. The acceleration feels like a rocket or something - no clutch drop, no waiting for the motor to hit peak power, just stomp the pedal and vrooooom. I've driven and owned several 12- and 13-second cars and there is simply no comparing them to the Tesla. I'd take one in a heartbeat.
I still have never driven a Tesla. They have no press fleet or press events.
They have a store in a mall not terribly far from me. They sell like Apple, so I wouldn't call them a dealer.
I have yet to drive one but have handled a few insurance claims on them. Tesla strongly discourages anyone outside their network touching the cars. Part prices are mostly decent. Body shops that are Tesla certified rape you on the labor though.
I've heard negative comments about the fit and finish of them but the ones I've looked at have been comparable to most any domestic product.
They have some neat features and the cheap one (whatever it's called) seems to be a decent value. The higher priced ones I can't get excited about. I've been curious what they will be like as used cars in the next five years and if Tesla will continue to support them.
In reply to Slippery :
Yeah I have no doubt a sport bike is faster, especially from a roll. This was definitely not a sport bike. It just felt wild to be able to come up on a motorcycle like that. Never had the option!
And to Tom's "antiseptic" comment, I get it. There's a certain something missing without the sound of the engine. I actually find most new cars to feel that way to me, now with everyone using EPS and such. I think I would still prefer a Miata for the joy of driving, but man, this was something amazing! It really did feel like it was approaching the limit of what my body could handle without getting ill. The Plaid just seems incomprehensible to me.
In reply to ddavidv :
I'm of two minds. They'd be crazy not to support them. It would be a PR nightmare. OTOH, from a GRM standpoint, the idea of rapidly depreciating go-fast hardware makes me salivate.
Teslas control-head approach to their products reminds me of how Apple used to be, and as a GRMer I think that it's worth noting that it goes against some of our fundamental ethos. Tesla is anti-DIY. I'd consider one for my wife (a model Y is enticing), but I'd be very hesitant to get one for myself on general principle.
Tim Suddard said:I still have never driven a Tesla. They have no press fleet or press events.
Still, though. I'm kind of amazed that someone with your connections hasn't had the opportunity yet.
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:Tim Suddard said:I still have never driven a Tesla. They have no press fleet or press events.
Still, though. I'm kind of amazed that someone with your connections hasn't had the opportunity yet.
Pretty sure he can walk into a dealership... 
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
Tesla doesn't have conventional dealerships! They basically have Tesla-branded Apple Stores, and you are supposed to pre-arrange any test drives through the corporate website.
I did my test drive at a sales kiosk outside the Fremont factory. Have to hand it to them. No pressure at all, and the sales rep let me flog the thing pretty good. Most automotive salesmen would have E36 M3 themselves if I'd done to their cars what I did to the Tesla.
pointofdeparture said:In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
Tesla doesn't have conventional dealerships! They basically have Tesla-branded Apple Stores, and you are supposed to pre-arrange any test drives through the corporate website.
Yes. I am aware of that. That's much too much to type.
The point was that Tesla does not have any restrictions barring press personnel from walking into their "Tesla-branded Apple Stores" and testing driving the thing like any other plebeian.
My point was more that I'm surprised Tim doesn't just know someone who will let him have a go.
pointofdeparture said:In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
Tesla doesn't have conventional dealerships! They basically have Tesla-branded Apple Stores, and you are supposed to pre-arrange any test drives through the corporate website.
This is not true. There is a very conventional dealership in SLC, for example. The only thing that makes it appear distinct from any other dealership is the line of Superchargers at one side and the name on the front. The difference is that it's owned by Tesla and not a third party.
The one I visited in Denver was in a mall (pretty much across the hall from the Apple Store, which is an apt comparison). Arranging a test drive was a matter of walking in and saying "we'd like to go for a test drive". We were in a car about 10 minutes later. No pre-arrangement, no hassle, no games.
Anyone who wants to test drive a Tesla but hasn't has not really tried, other than a few states where they're blocked from selling directly. As for GRM, there are no Tesla showrooms in Daytona Beach. But there are two in Orlando, one in Cape Canveral and one in Jacksonville.
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