TESLA #215 First impressions

Car arrived this morning. Via Fedex Auto. Seeing the car being delivered was an experience it felt like aliens were landing. The car is "very orange" I love the color. The driving is awesome. The feeling of torque a low speed amazing. It is a super-car.

So my father in law is here and we want to take the car for a drive. I have been driving it for a while but the car won't start now. I keep turning the "on key" but no noise comes on and we both think "damn, the car is dead".

We call road-side assistance, it is good to know that someone picks up the phone and offer to drive me to the shop. He thinks I live in Silicon Valley. I say I am in ATL he says "hah that would be difficult". I wait with some muzak. I finally realize 'wait, I have no engine, the car is not supposed to make any noise'. Tommy and I go back to car, I press the peddle the car takes off. I feel like a redneck. The silence is weird.

Then there are the smiles on people faces as I drive by. Never felt that way with the Porsche Turbo. Some people trail the car on the highway to take pictures, some make V signs. I am not used to that but could get used to it really quick. This is a cool car.









Comments

Unknown said…
I am super jealous. Now I have no excuse to come visit.
March 24, 2009 at 5:23:00 PM PDT
@SavioRodrigues said…
That's funny!

I heard that car manufacturers have to add a "swoosh" noise to the car so that pedestrians can hear the hybrids approaching -- turns out a few people have gotten hit by hybrids in subdivisions (i.e. low speeds, so battery power)
March 24, 2009 at 8:35:00 PM PDT
Max said…
No pictures ? Didn't happen then!
March 24, 2009 at 11:52:00 PM PDT
adt43wt342 said…
Ok, Ok here are the pictures

Thanks to Tommy.
March 25, 2009 at 7:04:00 AM PDT
Army No. Va. said…
congrats! are you coming by the old JBoss office this week? i'm working at home today and will be in tomorrow! :-) ...
March 25, 2009 at 9:26:00 AM PDT
Anonymous said…
M, super congrats on your orange rocket :-). Does it feel like it has more snap and oomph than ur turbo (996 or 997?) ? and plz be cautious w the weather in Atl and all that torque.

PS CK is superexcited to go/take for a ride, if he doesnt show it, he is bluffing :-)).
March 25, 2009 at 9:53:00 AM PDT
Anonymous said…
"What transpires in the next 2 seconds is the heart and soul, the essence and spirit, of the Roadster. This is the trick this one-trick pony does better than perhaps any sports car on Earth. We in the business call it "rolling acceleration."

At about 20 mph I nail the go pedal, and the power electronics module summons a ferocious torrent of amps, energizing the windings of the 375-volt AC-induction motor. Instantly -- I mean right now, like, what the heck hit me? -- the motor's 276 pound-feet of torque is converted to dumbfounding acceleration. Total number of moving parts: one.

Street lights streak past me like tracer bullets. My little mental circuits go snap-pop with the thrust. God has grabbed me by the jockstrap and fired me off his thumb, rubber band-style. Wow."

full story here:

http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-fi-neil6-2009feb06,0,5261426.story
March 26, 2009 at 5:22:00 AM PDT
adt43wt342 said…
Anon,

at low speed the "oomph" is way better than the turbo, it is stronger and longer (no speed change).

At highway speed however it was comparable to the Turbo.
March 26, 2009 at 6:50:00 AM PDT
Roy Russo said…
Sedan coming: http://jalopnik.com/5185534/tesla-model-s-sedan-concept-first-official-pictures
March 27, 2009 at 12:19:00 AM PDT
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