Mother of god! I finally drove a Tesla.

ddavidv said:

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.

Honestly, the last update for the OG roadster was back in 2017, so I think we're still good on that front; even when they pull the plug on some models, Rich Rebuilds and others like SuperFastMatt have shown that the S and 3 are rather lego-kit like and their OS is just a form of Linux Unbuntu.

Resale of "the cheap one" has been very strong. The S has been around for about a decade now so there are some down in the $30k range from what I remember seeing. They're still not quite cheap enough to make them a compelling choice over a new 3 unless you need the more traditional interior. I think a base 3 is a better car than a 2012 S in a lot of ways.

I drove a Model 3 performance Sunday.  Literally got in the car and took it to the line for an autocross run.  I made a couple of big errors right off and wasn't sure where the limits were...and was 0.3 seconds off my best run in the Zoomboni.  Given a couple more runs I'd have had FTD of the day, on street tires, in a 4,200 lb electric car with the AC on.

Teslas are gonna rewrite a lot of the rules over the next couple of years.

Just look at what's happened at Pike's Peak and extrapolate. Might be a while before that first Le Mans victory, though.

I can imagine it taking some getting used to on autox. I noticed I was slowing down a lot more than I needed to in the backroads mainly because the regen braking. It’s a strange thing where you accelerate much faster, but you also slow down faster than I am used to.

In reply to KyAllroad :

Our club gives a trophy for FTD at the last event each year. Last year a Model 3P in B Street was 0.15" behind a well prepared, well driven SSM Z06 on R-comps.

CyberEric said:

I can imagine it taking some getting used to on autox. I noticed I was slowing down a lot more than I needed to in the backroads mainly because the regen braking. It’s a strange thing where you accelerate much faster, but you also slow down faster than I am used to.

Don't think of the right pedal as an accelerator or brake, think of it as a velocity rheostat. You get used to only slightly lifting for lighter regen. After a while, you start to resent having to use the left pedal.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I like that way of thinking about it. After about 20 mins I was starting to relearn. I came to a stop sign with almost no brakes. But initially, I would accelerate rapidly and come off the throttle out of concern about going too fast, and notice the car I had passed with motorcycle was right up on me again. I imagine if I had more time with it I’d have  more control.

KyAllroad said:

I drove a Model 3 performance Sunday.  Literally got in the car and took it to the line for an autocross run.  I made a couple of big errors right off and wasn't sure where the limits were...and was 0.3 seconds off my best run in the Zoomboni.  Given a couple more runs I'd have had FTD of the day, on street tires, in a 4,200 lb electric car with the AC on.

 

Teslas are gonna rewrite a lot of the rules over the next couple of years.

SCCA basically pushed EVs out of regular solo competition after a guy won Nationals in BS in a Model 3. To be fair it doesn't make sense to class a car that can get OTA updates that give it more performance into a regular class anyway.

I haven't driven any Tesla cars myself and that's probably a good thing, because I might just buy one.

I'm in the same boat.  There is a blue model 3 performance sitting at a car lot that is 10 minutes from work.  I've told myself numerous times not to go check it out at lunchtime.

Harvey said:

To be fair it doesn't make sense to class a car that can get OTA updates that give it more performance into a regular class anyway.

OTA is just a method of delivery. It's not functionally any different than an update that requires a trip to the dealer, or an upgrade you can buy from the dealer (in the case of the acceleration boost). Dealer-installed updates that can affect performance have been around for decades - heck, Audi made aero changes to the original TT.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Which might make the car illegal in a class where certain items must be factory stock.  Audi recall also replaced control arms and did a couple other things, too, but that was dealer installed parts, not original equipment.

This is a lot of why the ECM (or any other module) programming has to be "free" in any sane class.  That sort of thing gets constantly updated.

As fast as EV's are I'll stay with the old tech for now.

Tesla Catches Fire, Turns Into 'Fireball' While Driving Down Pennsylvania Street (msn.com)

Gas fueled cars are still quite flammable. 

tEsla's are fun in a different way. While I still prefer burning hydrocarbons and making vroom vroom noises, they are still fun to drive. Their acceleration is absolutely insane.

Keith Tanner said:

Just look at what's happened at Pike's Peak and extrapolate. Might be a while before that first Le Mans victory, though.

I didn't get to see pikes peak. How did the Tesla do? 

In reply to frenchyd :

Randy was first in the Exhibition class and 10th overall. Not bad for a four door family sedan. They ran a shortened course due to weather so the absolute time is not really meaningful to compare to other years. The GRM crew linked to video of his run.

I was thinking more of the way that electrics have rapidly become the must-have weapon to win that race. Loeb's record time didn't last anywhere near as long as I thought it would!

Yah. The more I think about it, the more I want one.

My usual “commute” route involves 4 way stop signs on mostly straight rural roads. The perfect opportunity for right foot exercises.

I’m a fan of the atypical interior too. I really like the sense of space. Same reason I like 2nd gen Ford Escorts, oddly.

Too bad I’m a long way off from being able to responsibly afford that much car. (The Tesla, not the Escort :P)

Appleseed said:

Gas fueled cars are still quite flammable. 

Meanwhile, in another thread, there are people promoting use of HC-12a refrigerant, which is not legal in the US to use as an R-12 substitute because of, well...

This refrigerant was the root cause[6] of the Tragedia de La Cresta [es] in October 2006,[7] which killed 18 people and injured 25, some severely, which in turn led to an overhaul of Panama City's public transport system.[5][8][9][10] The refrigerant ignited due to an electrical spark[11] which followed a refrigerant leak,[12] eventually warming and later quickly setting an ICE bus ablaze as the fire spread from the refrigeration system towards the interior of the bus,[13][5][4] this combined with a lack of emergency exits, the location of the engine (and refrigeration system compressor, which is often open and pulley-driven by the ICE engine and thus leak-prone in ICE vehicles), which was located below a cover on the inner side of the only passenger exit door,[14] and a lack of fire extinguishers led to the tragedy. A lawsuit in an US court against Northcutt, which imported the HC-12 involved in the tragedy, and OZ technology, Inc., which manufactured the HC-12[11][15][16][17][18] began in 2008 and in 2018, Northcutt reached a settlement with the victims of the tragedy and their relatives.[5][19][20]

Also incidentally, I'm seeing a very high failure rate in A/C compressor front seals in R-1234yf equipped vehicles, to the point that I expect a warranty extension or possible class action lawsuit in the future.