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Tesla Model X Premier tonight 8pm PST

Discussion in 'Tesla' started by efusco, Feb 9, 2012.

  1. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    LOL! They edited out the Frunk Fail!
     
  2. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    how does it drive?
    I think it looks like albatross instead of gull wind doors:) I wonder if they will make production. Wouldn't a sliding door look less like a kludge? The porsche cayenne sells better than I expected, maybe this thing will sell, but to me it needs some design help on the body.
     
  3. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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  4. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Wonderfully apart from the electrics. :) I had a lightbulb burn out (understandable, it was almost 30 years old) and the alternator stopped charging the battery because the bulb was an important feedback component in the charging system... The headlight switch is a combined push button with 3 positions. So off is not pressed in, parking lights are 1 press in, and headlights are pressed in further. It doesn't like to catch the 2nd press in, so to get the headlights on instead of just the parking lights is an exercise in timing and frustration.

    I think sliding doors are passe. They mean minivan to the american public, and the marketing monkeys have tried their hardest to make them crossovers and CUV's and not minivans and station wagons.

    Although there are cars like this Peugeot 1007 with sliding doors that aren't a minivan:

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    Yes, and we all know just what a tight grasp he has on reality. He is really lucky that he was born in this day and age - had he been born a few hundred years ago you know he would have died an early awful death - these days he will go down as a visionary if he can actually pull off all of the promises that he has made.

     
  6. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    Sliding doors are definitely passe, but gull wings seem throw back to 70s & 80s. I don't think they work well on the X. Let's face it, the thing does look a little like a mini van. The problem they are trying to solve with the albatross wings is width when opening that big door. The mini van solves this with the sliding door. If anything the wings make it look less like a SUV.

    On the other hand, I think tesla did well in styling the S and Roadster. I'm not in the market for this beast, and who knows, maybe those that are would like wings.

    Some better pictures


     
  7. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Explanation?
     
  8. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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  9. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Big car companies have had many years to establish gull wing as a popular design, but obviously, it's never taken off. This is one heck of a gamble to take for a car company trying to make it.
     
  10. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    I disagree completely. No big car companies have tried to establish gullwings as a popular design. The designers and concept engineers, sure. But the company behind says no with the only big exception being Mercedes with the SLS. Yes it is a hypercar, but it is a mainstream manufacturer.

    The problems with designing for gullwings are tremendous. To counterbalance all that pivoting force, you need really good struts and torsion bars. These are only as good as what you bolt them to and you need really good strong framing to support it. Otherwise the entire roof will deform and twist completely wrecking the design. The roof of my DeLorean has absolutely no play in the structure. You press against the roof of any modern vehicle including the Prius and the metal bends or shifts. You press on the top and it will dent in. It is much cheaper to put in thinner metal then thick metal, and you need thick for gull wings.

    So the bean counters almost always throw that out the window when presented with it. Having gullwings on a production car shouldn't effect sales in any way. Those that don't buy the car because of the doors will probably equal those in numbers that buy the car only because of the doors (minimal). It is a nifty bonus, but not something front and centre.

    The popular design is in concept cars. Heck, even Renault has a concept vehicle with 4 doors, all gullwings. How the heck are they going to get a roof to support all that without making it a tank?! Well they couldn't so they passed.
     
  11. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    During the "look how much cargo room it has" portion of the reveal they had stuff packed in the front trunk (Frunk), but the latch release wasn't working and despite getting 3 tech guys out there they couldn't get it open. After the presentation someone got out there and got it to open, but it was an embarrassing couple of minutes trying to get it open.
     
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  12. R-P

    R-P Active Member

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    They are too good to be true as a company :eek:

    Scared they will not make it, but certainly hope they do.

    Little above my budget, but would be an excellent replacement of my AWD Volvo with the turningcircle of over 40feet :mad:
     
  13. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I agree that it's a gamble. I hope it pays off.

    On all the pictures of the wing doors open, it appears that the front doors of the car are closed. Do they open up, or out like other cars?
     
  14. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    They open out like a regular car. You should watch the video of the reveal, Daniel.
     
  15. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Okay. I watched it. (Didn't have time this morning.) I'm impressed. (But then I'm already a Tesla driver and fan.) I noticed that Elon pronounces it Tesla. If I needed a car that size I'd be putting in a reservation.
     
  16. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Someone on cnet forum made what seems a very good point ....

    the gull wing doors seem to preclude putting anything on the roof - skis, kayak, etc....
     
  17. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...ouch!
     
  18. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Some people asked about that at the reveal. Apparently Tesla is planning a solution that will allow a roof rack, but they didn't say what it was. I presume some sort of motorized option or something. But to me anything that heavy, complex and expensive sort of takes away some of the convenience of an SUV.
     
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  19. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Ok, so I watched the whole reveal video and the falcon wing is a centerpiece of the design. They put a lot of thought into it to not open higher than an SUV hatch and not swing out wide.

    Obviously this vehicle is for upscale buyers who may be intrigued by unique design, so I'm through panning the falcon wing doors.

    I wish Tesla the best. The idea that one could solar charge their car and drive around virtually emission free is quite intruiging....

    the 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds ain't too bad either :eek:
     
  20. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    This person makes good points about those rear doors ..

    "...but for the ease of loading and unloading the kids, MiniVans are a young parents friend because the doors get out of your way, sliders, so you can get kids in car seats and buckle them in. When I use my Subaru Outback its a pain with the door in the way and the the roof in the way, the way these doors open door gets out of the way and some of the roof does as well, nice!
    As far as opening them in the rain, six & one half dozen another, open a minivans sliding door and you probably get more rain in the vehicle than these doors which would act like an awning as apposed to the mini vans gaping hole when open."

    Tesla's Model X: Finally, an electric car we all want | Cutting Edge - CNET News