Anyone get bored of your Roadster?

[mpt]

I think EV technology makes perfect sense as a technology for commuting from point a to point b, but for the enthusiast I think EV technology falls short.

A year ago I felt similar; no engine, no gearshift, no challenge? I love driving 'crap' cars, Fiat Panda, my old Citroen VISA GT (400 quid), etc. because they offer a challenge; "Can I get it round that bend?" I don't enjoy accomplished cars; my old A6 because I was only a passenger, even at warp 9 round an off-camber curve; An R8 is my hell.

It took me a while to realise that the Roadster matches my definition of a crap car; more power than the chassis can handle. It's not that the chassis is lacking in this case though, the power is just so great. That realization came the first time I turned in with a boot full of thrust from the rear and had it 'power understeer' - that never happen in my 1.8 Vauxhall Carlton, but it did happen on my Ducatti.

My Tesla feels every bit as exciting and dangerous as the old duke but couple that to a warm, comfortable and cosy cockpit and I'm in heaven.

Now I enjoy the same limitless power at any rpm that the duke had, feathering the power through a tight bend to balance just the right amount of steering; lovely.

 

[mpt]

I'm concerned about you getting tired after an hour of driving. There is quite possibly considerable amount of EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field) around the driver.

I think the tiring aspect of the car is down to the noise levels; I'd prefer it be quieter.

EMF: TMC's Ben W put that to bed here: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...adiation-and-the-Roadster?highlight=radiation

 

[Doug_G]

I'm concerned about you getting tired after an hour of driving. There is quite possibly considerable amount of EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field) around the driver. I don't know how closely Tesla has monitored this aspect of using high power motors and batteries. We also do not really know at what level it starts to have an effect on the human body. But, electric power and time are major contributing factors while distance from the source deminishes the strength very quickly.

Oh please don't start up this FUD again. Any EMF produced by the Roadster is negligible. You routinely use other devices that produce far stronger fields at far higher frequencies. A cell phone produces massively more emissions than a Roadster.

 

[vfx]

Smooth just may be the exception to the rule.
Professional drivers pick up on the driving advantages of electric right away. There have been many videos posted here where non-Tesla Evs like the recent Renault race car and the glowing report from the Stig (ok, that was Tesla) and all those pro motorcycle racers that did the all-electric Isle of Man race. They are interviewed right after they get off the track and through a surprised EV grin they all say that without the vibration, shaking, noise and pedal to forward motion lag that an electric motor gives a direct connection from brain/foot to rubber/road. They realize all that other stuff is just in the way.

 

[smoothoperator]

Problem is not with straight line performance, problem is with the predictable heavy understeer and chassis flex from the car. No quirkyness at all with this car, it does this everyday anyday. Just gets boring after a while.

 

[vfx]

Problem is not with straight line performance, problem is with the predictable heavy understeer and chassis flex from the car. No quirkyness at all with this car, it does this everyday anyday. Just gets boring after a while.

Well that's different.

 

[tennis_trs]

No boredom yet for me after the first 13 months and 15,500 miles. It's still way, way more fun to drive than the 2008 Boxster S that it replaced (which is a good thing since the Tesla cost way, way more than the Boxster). I really enjoyed the Boxster before getting the Tesla.

The few, significant more enjoyable points of the Boxster that come to mind are:
- More cargo space. I believe about twice as much volume (it has an incredible amount of cargo space for a roadster), but the cargo space in the Tesla is good for a roadster and a lot more than I expected before I first test drove one.
- A power convertible top.
- Easier to enter/exit. But I like the Tesla cockpit a lot better: you don't sit in a good sports car, you wear it, like a glove!

But those nowhere near offset the far better acceleration and the rest of the driving enjoyment.

Of course everyone has different tastes, so it's inevitable that the Tesla is wrong for many (my guess is that the small size, instead of any range-anxiety/EV-fear, would be more of an issue for most; the size aspect is actually a big positive to me) and bore some.

 

[mpt]

you wear it, like a glove!

This is probably just me and my weirdness trying to put into words how the car feels, but, I love looking out over the curve of the front wheel arches as I drive, I can imagine that cut-away diagram that Tesla had but with me in it; I can see where the front wheels are and I can image my feet almost in line with the wheels just like a go-cart. It makes you feel that the car is really "you with wheels". That's how I feel about it fitting like a glove; there's no spare bits of car.

 

[Jaff]

Smooth, for variety of ride / possible improvement of the Roadster's performance to your driving style, have you tried adjusting the suspension? :smile:

Problem is not with straight line performance, problem is with the predictable heavy understeer and chassis flex from the car. No quirkyness at all with this car, it does this everyday anyday. Just gets boring after a while.

 

[smoothoperator]

Smooth, for variety of ride / possible improvement of the Roadster's performance to your driving style, have you tried adjusting the suspension? :smile:

I have not messed with the dial settings on the suspension, but I think making the shocks stiffer may help in the way of body roll and the spongy feeling around corners.

 

[smoothoperator]

Recently I replaced the rear tires on my roadster sport, while the car was jacked up I had the tire installer change some of the dial settings on the suspension. Surprisingly the settings make a significant difference in the way the car handles and rides. On my way back from the tire shop I decided to take a windy road to really see if there was a difference. The car seems to handle much crisper (although you can still feel the weight). The plowing tendency was significantly quelled. The car rides stiff (almost to the point where I feel that the car is shedding parts when going over uneven pavement/pot holes) but its well worth it for the handling improvement.

 

[felixtb]

hi there smoothop,

great that you are now trying to dial in what is right for you. most sports cars, including the roadster, are setup for novices to the finer points of driving. so they won't go and do something crazy like kill themselves on the first day. so if you reallylike to drive you have to personalize the setup to suit your driving style. the tesla is set up to have lots of understeer since it has a significant portion of it's wait in the back.

you can get rid of this however, by doing the shock settings as you just did but more importantly by adjusting the sway bars and maybe camber and toe-in depending on how radical you want to go. there is an excellent thread on this forum going in to the finer points of customizing the dialin for your own driving style. check it out and go to your TESLA dealer and have it done or do it yourself as you see fit

best of luck and hope you start to enjoy like most other roadster owners

/fb

 

[Jaff]

Just curious Smooth, what setting number did you move the shocks to? Did you adjust the sway bars to help reduce the understeer as well?

 

[smoothoperator]

Just curious Smooth, what setting number did you move the shocks to? Did you adjust the sway bars to help reduce the understeer as well?

7 Front; 10 Rear; 2 Front Roll; 3 Rear Roll; are the settings that I have now

 

[kgb]

7 Front; 10 Rear; 2 Front Roll; 3 Rear Roll; are the settings that I have now

Before you get too far off topic, there is a whole thread on this here.
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...le-suspension?highlight=adjustable+suspension

 

[Brian H]

EM? Be sure to stay far, far away from your iPod & mobile phone. They are broadcasting hundreds of times more EM than the Tesla. Oooooo ... !

Grammarnasty note: "Bored of" is dumdum English. You can get "tired of", but "bored with". Maybe "bored by" something specific.

 

[bonnie]

EM? Be sure to stay far, far away from your iPod & mobile phone. They are broadcasting hundreds of times more EM than the Tesla. Oooooo ... !

Grammarnasty note: "Bored of" is dumdum English. You can get "tired of", but "bored with". Maybe "bored by" something specific.

It's probably a good idea for you to stay away from Facebook and text messages.

 

[NeoDoc]

Maybe you're just driving in a boring manner > I find it always exciting to look out for the CHP as I dart in and out of the carpool lane!