Are We Looking At A Potential Redesign? Or What Do You Think?

[P85DBeast]

With All the new Tesla Vehicles coming out such as the X which came out a couple months ago, and the 3 which is coming out within a couple of weeks. When is Tesla going to redesign the MS its a good looking car but lets face it the design is starting to get a little old in the tooth. Buttt Its still a very good looking car in my opinion but are they going to do like a mid-cycle refresh like an updated nose cone, refreshed taillights (Which are Still Beautiful). I wouldnt expect a refresh any time soon because they are about to launch the 3 but maybe 2 to 3 months after the 3 comes out. Not a full redesign but some updated exterior features such as being able to get a chrome delete through Tesla's website or something just kinda something to bring more WOW!!! to the S even though it still wow's me just a little thing that will make me fall more in love with this car.......

 

[tomas]

I think it is a classic design... one that still looks fresh and distinctive after almost 4 years. That's rare. Like the prior generation Jaguar XJ... how many years did that aluminum bodied beast look good? Maybe a refresh in a few areas, but sometimes you just get it right and I think Tesla did with the S. No need.

 

[tstafford]

The MS needs a redesign so that it is just as new fangled as TMC.

 

[zambono]

It needs an update to compete and to lower costs so that it can use parts from X and 3.

 

[brianman]

MS ... lets face it the design is starting to get a little old in the tooth.

Disagree completely.

 

[brianman]

With All the new Tesla Vehicles coming out such as the X which came out a couple months ago, and the 3 which is coming out within a couple of weeks

Also disagree with the premise as I interpret it. There should be a family resemblance and design language across the line, but part of what I find non-compelling about non-Tesla offerings is that there is the "they all look basically the same" problem. I don't want to see that design philosophy / laziness in Tesla's line.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Believe a model S refresh might still be some time away.

They are just getting the Model X body stampings sorted out and bring up to higher volume production.

Next step is getting molds and stampings developed, produced and fine tuned for the much higher volume Model 3 production.

If sales remain production constrainted for the Model S, there would be no reason to mess with that production, but just keep cranking them out and working on constant improvement items.

If sales slow down, then refreshing the car bodywork will become a higher priority, but right now all the design, engineering talent and production efforts must be channeled into getting the X and 3 models perfected.

I would imagine that before Tesla remodels the already spectacular and classic bodywork they will continue to add significant refinements to the battery and drive line and updating the interior to bring it closer to the seating in the model X.

Not saying a new front bumper or lighting might be in the works, but Tesla certaintly has other places to spend their money than in new sheet metal.

 

[Dithermaster]

I hope a redesign is long off or doesn't happen. Because if/when Model S gets freshened then immediately the old ones are going to look much older.

 

[calisnow]

Style is timeless, fashion changes.

A good design does not get "long in the tooth" - and the practice of automotive manufacturers "refreshing" designs for the sake of change itself is not a practice driven by the educated designers/artists who create a car's initial clean sheet visual design and who understand the principles of timeless design and eternally beautiful visuals. Mid-cycle refreshes are simply a marketing gimmick demanded by the monkeys who work in sales and advertising.

Thus you have countless examples of automotive designs which start perfect and then are mangled/defaced/ruined mid-cycle a couple years later and the proportions of the body are made worse, not better.

Key examples:

• Chris Bangles' pure design of the 2002 BMW 7 series was "softened" a couple years later and the lines were messed up.
• Mercedes' W212 2003 e class was made worse mid cycle by giving it an unnecessary nose job which interrupted the clean flow of the original design - again for no reason except marketing.
• Lamborghini ruined the original 2004 Gallardo's lines with an unnecessary nose job - the 2004 is still the purest design of the entire 10 year run of the Gallardo.
• Bentley messed up the 2004 GT for the same reasons in 2010 - simply to change the style - but made the lines less harmonious, not more. I have pointed out the GT in another post as an example of timeless design - the current GT looks similar to the 2004 original - but the '04 was the purest.

There is almost nothing you can do to the current Model S body to improve the lines except to get rid of the black nose cone which is simply a reminder of ICE engines which need an air intake - that should go. Also the chrome should go - that would make the car look even more classic.

But to tweak the lines of the body for no reason other than "it's old" is not an valid argument.

Other cars do not start out with perfect lines/proportions and do need tweaking (think of many trendy hideous body styles currently in vogue in Japanese SUV's - the bug eyed monster look) - but the S is an all time great. Model X not so much with the proportions. See photos below of the above mentioned examples.

The S does of course need continual improvement in its technology - which it is getting.

Also the S's interior is a master class in beautiful Scandinavian minimalism - there is no way to improve the appearance of the interior except with more luxurious materials. There IS a way to improve the functionality of the interior - it doesn't have enough storage. But from a design perspective the S's current interior is as timeless as one can get.

 

[calisnow]

Timeless designs are not made better by "refreshing" them:

 

[ChadS]

If sales remain production constrainted for the Model S, there would be no reason to mess with that production, [...]

If sales slow down, then refreshing the car bodywork will become a higher priority,

I think you hit the nail on the head. As long as they can sell all they can build, why mess with changing the Model S when they have so many other things to be working on? X rampup, 3, Supercharging, sales/delivery/service centers, Gigafactory, planning for future models...I'd rather they not spend more time on the S if they can avoid it.

But right now the Model S is their bread and butter, so if sales slow (or even if sales pick up, but not as fast as production capability - a more likely problem) they will do what they need to interest more buyers. With more people getting/or waiting for an X, and a looming number of people that might be waiting on a 3, and competition with more range coming out in a few months, and some reported factory changes that may increase supply...the time could possibly be soon to tickle S demand.

Of course, even then it doesn't necessarily mean a refresh. Something else could be simpler and cheaper, like a special deal on a Model S lease until your 3 arrives. Or something else they were planning to do anyway for strategic reasons, like more range or better autopilot. But there could be a refresh, especially if it involves things that make the car cheaper to build or service. If it is going to happen, somewhere around the Model S reveal does seem like a likely time; I've been looking forward to the reveal partly for that reason.

 

[calisnow]

Unlike many Lambos the original 2004 Gallardo was a perfect visual design exercise - later versions handled and performed better but their visual design was made worse. We can't blame the automotive designers - they must have cringed as they were forced to attach the ugly bloody wound of a nose to the 2011 Gallardo that eliminated the nose's harmony with of the rest of the car's lines.

By 2011 they were gilding the lilly:

 

[calisnow]

If sales remain production constrainted for the Model S, there would be no reason to mess with that production, but just keep cranking them out and working on constant improvement items.

If sales slow down, then refreshing the car bodywork will become a higher priority.

Not saying a new front bumper or lighting might be in the works, but Tesla certaintly has other places to spend their money than in new sheet metal.

As long as they can sell all they can build, why mess with changing the Model S

You guys are both right. There are a number of functional improvements Tesla knows they can/will build into the Model S to keep sales strong - improved Autopilot hardware, improved seats (Model X), more interior storage, larger battery capacity. Maybe more advanced suspension designs and even more sound deadening at some point. Better user interface software.

All those items will juice sales if they slow down.

 

[calisnow]

Same with Benz - 2003 W211 E Class' nose was "of a piece" with the rest of the body. In 2007 they "facelifted" it by stretching out the bumper into an angular design which didn't mesh with the rest of the unchanged design - another marketing driven defacement of a good original design.

With a Model S nosecone change we should be careful what we wish for...

2003 - clean sheet design with a nose that matched the rest of the car:

2007 - somebody pulled on the end of the nose, stretching into an ugly v shape which no longer flowed with the original, unchanged design:

 

[CHG-ON]

Taste is individual and, well, a matter of taste... I love the design of the MS. Yes, I do think it will need freshening at some point. I don't know when that will be. But my guess is that, since there are relatively so few on the road, that there is no rush. My hope is that it will be done to enhance the style and keep it classically relevant. Updating simply to update would be a mistake, IMO.

 

[ElectricTundra]

Agree with the above that change for changes sake will result in a poorly designed car. The S looks great as it is.

The only thing that I think could possibly be changed is the nose but even that could easily result in a downgrade. Great for those of us with originals, not so great for those who get the downgrade or for Tesla. And even though perhaps not the best element of the S, the nose is also rather endearing. I would hate to see the X nose on the S. Or even a reasonable facsimile.

Have you noticed what Lexus have done to their nose?

I think they saw what happened to the Lambo and mistakenly thought it was good. Then thought more is better. It's the same thing that happens when traffic engineers have one too many pints:

 

[gsxdsm]

I much prefer the X-style nose for the S. The current design is fine but after seeing it daily in the SF Bay Area and OC it's gotten kinda boring/average looking.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I like it the way it is and it definitely doesn't need that ugly X nose.

 

[halg]

Believe a model S refresh might still be some time away.

They are just getting the Model X body stampings sorted out and bring up to higher volume production.

Next step is getting molds and stampings developed, produced and fine tuned for the much higher volume Model 3 production.

If sales remain production constrainted for the Model S, there would be no reason to mess with that production, but just keep cranking them out and working on constant improvement items.

If sales slow down, then refreshing the car bodywork will become a higher priority, but right now all the design, engineering talent and production efforts must be channeled into getting the X and 3 models perfected.

I would imagine that before Tesla remodels the already spectacular and classic bodywork they will continue to add significant refinements to the battery and drive line and updating the interior to bring it closer to the seating in the model X.

Not saying a new front bumper or lighting might be in the works, but Tesla certaintly has other places to spend their money than in new sheet metal.

Makes a lot sense

 

[Canuck]

My prediction for the S changes coming in April is autopilot 2.0, a new front end to match the X, and 100 kWh battery.