Soldato
Tesla came to the business park I work on today, and I had the chance to drive a Model S 75D, and wow, what an experience.
I didn't come in with any prior expectations; I'd never driven an auto nor an electric car before.
To start off, the car felt very "solid". Good build quality, if not amazing. Some of the high end German cars do it better, but there's a lot to be said about the simplicity of the Model S. It's very nice, and I would be very happy if I spent 100K on one of these. As an odd side note, the indicator sounds very nice
Driving position is great, and very adaptable.
Autopilot is cool (really cool, in fact), but I don't like it - I feel as though I'm less involved in the driving process, and hence less aware of what's going on. Great I think for stop start traffic
Now let's talk speed. My father is a bit of a car addict, having owned various high performance vehicles inc Porsche, BMW, Audi (interesting side note, managed to bag the first new era S5 in the UK), and so I've been subjected to various 0-62 times - he currently has an M5 Competition, and it feels quick.
But this Tesla, even at 4.3 to 62, feels much quicker. As a driving purist, I.e. lover of naturally aspirated petrol engines, the way the car responds to the throttle is highly addictive. It's not twitchy like my little Fiesta is; it's very calm in fact. However, put your foot down, and the only thing you can hear is the whine from the electric motors, and the funny sounds you can't help but expell from your mouth, while your chest is being pinned to the back of the seat. It flies.
The acceleration isn't just "quick", it's brutal. And it's really ****** fun.
As an every day car, it makes total sense to me - the way the car creeps forward in drive, the way you can control the speed almost entirely with the accelerator (it brakes when you take your foot off for regenerating batteries - but it's gradual, so the less pressure you apply, the quicker it slows), and the way it just responds is so damn nice. It's very intuitive, and I don't think I'd have petrol daily again.
But.
There is one key thing missing from the experience for me - let me explain.
For me, driving is about how a car excites my senses, and part of that excitement comes from sound.
The V8 in the M5, for example, makes such a nice sound. The deep, throaty monster never fails to put a smile on my face. And, for me, that's the problem - it doesn't scratch the itch of a "driver's" car - you wouldn't want to take it on a tour through the Scottish Highlands.
It's not that it's boring, by any means, it's just that the performance doesn't do enough to outweigh the lack of stimulation through sound; it can't make you smile after putting your window down in a tunnel and flooring it.
Overall, I would 100% buy one, but only if I could afford something like a Golf R, or Porsche Cayman as a secondary car, for when I want to hear as much as I feel.
I didn't come in with any prior expectations; I'd never driven an auto nor an electric car before.
To start off, the car felt very "solid". Good build quality, if not amazing. Some of the high end German cars do it better, but there's a lot to be said about the simplicity of the Model S. It's very nice, and I would be very happy if I spent 100K on one of these. As an odd side note, the indicator sounds very nice
Driving position is great, and very adaptable.
Autopilot is cool (really cool, in fact), but I don't like it - I feel as though I'm less involved in the driving process, and hence less aware of what's going on. Great I think for stop start traffic
Now let's talk speed. My father is a bit of a car addict, having owned various high performance vehicles inc Porsche, BMW, Audi (interesting side note, managed to bag the first new era S5 in the UK), and so I've been subjected to various 0-62 times - he currently has an M5 Competition, and it feels quick.
But this Tesla, even at 4.3 to 62, feels much quicker. As a driving purist, I.e. lover of naturally aspirated petrol engines, the way the car responds to the throttle is highly addictive. It's not twitchy like my little Fiesta is; it's very calm in fact. However, put your foot down, and the only thing you can hear is the whine from the electric motors, and the funny sounds you can't help but expell from your mouth, while your chest is being pinned to the back of the seat. It flies.
The acceleration isn't just "quick", it's brutal. And it's really ****** fun.
As an every day car, it makes total sense to me - the way the car creeps forward in drive, the way you can control the speed almost entirely with the accelerator (it brakes when you take your foot off for regenerating batteries - but it's gradual, so the less pressure you apply, the quicker it slows), and the way it just responds is so damn nice. It's very intuitive, and I don't think I'd have petrol daily again.
But.
There is one key thing missing from the experience for me - let me explain.
For me, driving is about how a car excites my senses, and part of that excitement comes from sound.
The V8 in the M5, for example, makes such a nice sound. The deep, throaty monster never fails to put a smile on my face. And, for me, that's the problem - it doesn't scratch the itch of a "driver's" car - you wouldn't want to take it on a tour through the Scottish Highlands.
It's not that it's boring, by any means, it's just that the performance doesn't do enough to outweigh the lack of stimulation through sound; it can't make you smile after putting your window down in a tunnel and flooring it.
Overall, I would 100% buy one, but only if I could afford something like a Golf R, or Porsche Cayman as a secondary car, for when I want to hear as much as I feel.
)
Would be a hard decision, but would probably go Tesla for lower running costs
Hah!