Car guy coming from an ICE

[kablammyman]

I get it, I'm addicted to boost myself. The sound of the turbo spool, the kick in the seat acceleration, the BOV sound...it was heaven! I also liked that people "in the know" would hear said sounds and give me a nod or a surprised look. I thought I would miss all that...but I dont. i now have a toyta rav4 ev...and the instant torque, the no gas fill ups, and having a lot of fun without being noticed (therefore nobody to interrupt!) and never having to worry about not getting top MPG is much more satisfying. I feel i can have my cake and eat it to...I never felt that way in my boosted cars. With my turbo setups, I always had the nagging concern that something would break when pushed too hard, or if I got lazy on maintenance and inspecting every single aspect of the turbo system. With the EV, I dont have those concerns...and thats with a rav4! My tesla will be 10x better!!

With that said, If you are a car guy, after driving an ev for a while, you may want to do what i'm doing...converting your ICE to electric. That way, you can still have a manual transmission, high performance, classic looks\feel, but no smog checks or cops ruining your fun.

 

[mkspeedr]

Ironically sound restrictions at race tracks are lower than DOT requirements. Laguna Seca has a 90db limit (limited 92db and 105db days) versus the California vehicle code of above 95db. FYI - all my vehicles have stock exhaust and I love most engine noise.

I am car/bike guy from birth. My P85D is the best 4 wheel vehicle I own.

 

[JeffK]

Ironically sound restrictions at race tracks are lower than DOT requirements. Laguna Seca has a 90db limit (limited 92db and 105db days) versus the California vehicle code of above 95db. FYI - all my vehicles have stock exhaust and I love most engine noise.

I am car/bike guy from birth. My P85D is the best 4 wheel vehicle I own.

I like engine noise when it's my own or when it's an exotic car... but I hate others. I don't have children yet, but I think it might be the same thing I'll like mine but hate everyone else's.

 

[mkspeedr]

I like the sound of a good engine. Not engines that make noise. It is a big difference to me.

 

[Saghost]

With an EV, isn't instant torque almost tantamount to always being in the right gear having the most power?

Exactly. You never have to shift gears to get the one you need right now and the car never chooses badly. What's more, the accelerator response is completely predictable (and almost completely consistent across the speed range,) so it's much easier to get the exact amount of acceleration or deceleration you intended.

Road and Track described the situation very well a couple years ago:

Climate Change: 2014 Tesla Model S P85D

Their only regret was that they couldn't find a way to completely disable the traction/stability control, and they used excellent, evocative language to explain the car and their feelings.

 

[wdolson]

Well I think its settled - Im likely going to be putting the Camaro up for sale as we await more model 3 information with reveal 2 just around the corner. My reservation is fairly late so based on the reveal I can decide if the model 3 is the right choice or if its safe to test drive a model S and risk falling in love lol. Thanks for all the responses, kind of hard to believe how many gear heads have made the switch to a Tesla in the last few years.

This page has a video part way down where the founders of Tesla discuss how they came to make cars. They intended from the start to make a car that was better than an ICE in all ways possible.
Tesla Founders Discuss EVs And Startups At Stanford University

I mean you could always add a subwoofer, pipe in some engine sound over the speakers like BMW or Ford does, and modulate your foot on the accelerator to simulate the loss of power when switching gears. ...if you're into that sort of thing

When the topic of sounds made by EVs at low speeds have come up, I've suggested they should play the engine noise from a GTO.

The BMW i8 has a sound system that plays engine noises to the driver during hard acceleration.

 

[Saghost]

When the topic of sounds made by EVs at low speeds have come up, I've suggested they should play the engine noise from a GTO.

NHTSA should really give us options as long as they meet average/peak sound level requirements.

I want the Jaws theme linked to the ultrasonic sensors - the closer it gets to someone/something, the faster the beats.

That or one of those fast talking guys - "excuse me, pardon me, coming through..."

 

[Atlantan]

Hey Hixon, car guy myself. One of my ICE cars from the past...put on some good head phones to listen...

I don't regret the Tesla decision...not one bit.

 

[Gen3Joe]

I have a solution for you that has worked for me and this is coming from a gear head that enjoys nothing more than bouncing off the rev limiter and grabbing gears in the mountains. I have always owned manual transmissions in every car I have owned. I now drive an EV but also own a Triumph Street Triple. If you own a motorcycle you get all the performance and sound you could ever want. Most of your driving will be done in your EV. Trust me though, you won't miss the Camaro. An EV gives you a more connected feel to the car even though you don't get to select the gear you are in. There is a direct immediate relationship to what your right foot is doing and what the car does in an EV that an ICE car just can't match.

 

[TXcharge]

So here's my dilemma and Im not sure that it can even be answered until a model 3 test drive is offered but Ill ask anyways. Im a car guy - always have been and probably always will be. Uncle and cousin are professional drag racers, dads a car guy, I currently own a Camaro SS. I love cars for multiple reasons - looks, efficiency, sound, power, etc (just like everyone else). Im starting to panic a little bit. Im worried that Ill sell my Camaro and switch to a model 3, only to be disappointed that it makes no sound. Im very very interested in the model 3 and im all in on tesla so don't take this the wrong way - but whats it like driving a 3500+ pound golf cart? I love the idea of switching to EV, but maybe im just not cut out for the whisper silent EV life? Anyone switch from loving ICE cars to a Tesla that can share some background?

Sold my Porsche 911 CAB which has the sexiest 4k RPM engine sound. Won't list all the other cars I have owned, but I don't regret a moment in my Model S.

 

[Hixson]

For all of you guys that have been sharing the sentiment that going from a performance ICE to a P/D version of a tesla - do you feel the same way about base model s? Im not sure that its correct but I thought I read somewhere that a P90D has equivalent horsepower rating of somewhere near 691 HP. obviously that will feel fast as hell lol. However its reasonable that a model 3 would be equivalent HP to that of say an Audi A3 or A4. Which would make me believe that maybe a good "feel" comparison would be between my 400 HP ICE and say a base model S 75/85?

I love all the replies and am super jealous you all have bad ass tesla models - but all the high end trims replying is hard to gauge. That's like asking the general question "are BMWs fun" and only having M3 and I8 owners reply lol

 

[JeffK]

For all of you guys that have been sharing the sentiment that going from a performance ICE to a P/D version of a tesla - do you feel the same way about base model s? Im not sure that its correct but I thought I read somewhere that a P90D has equivalent horsepower rating of somewhere near 691 HP. obviously that will feel fast as hell lol. However its reasonable that a model 3 would be equivalent HP to that of say an Audi A3 or A4. Which would make me believe that maybe a good "feel" comparison would be between my 400 HP ICE and say a base model S 75/85?

I love all the replies and am super jealous you all have bad ass tesla models - but all the high end trims replying is hard to gauge. That's like asking the general question "are BMWs fun" and only having M3 and I8 owners reply lol

I'm making an assumption that the performance Model 3 will cost around what the base Model S costs. I'll let you know once I get my hands on one.

Have you scheduled a test drive yet? I'm interested to read your reaction!

 

[Hixson]

I live in the wonderful state of Iowa - where we apparently have supercharger stations in all the places either I or family members live, but no Tesla dealers lol. The closest dealership is 4 1/2 hours away so I will need to make a weekend out of it. Im hoping to get a test drive scheduled within the next month or so - but to answer the question at this point, sadly I have not

 

[Hixson]

On a barely related side note - how is it possible that the state of Iowa is going to totally buy in to alternative energy and become the #1 state for wind energy production thanks to Seimans - yet we have no tesla dealerships and Ive only seen one tesla in the 5 years since they've become popular and it was model X?!?!?! What the heck Iowa...

 

[Saghost]

For all of you guys that have been sharing the sentiment that going from a performance ICE to a P/D version of a tesla - do you feel the same way about base model s? Im not sure that its correct but I thought I read somewhere that a P90D has equivalent horsepower rating of somewhere near 691 HP. obviously that will feel fast as hell lol. However its reasonable that a model 3 would be equivalent HP to that of say an Audi A3 or A4. Which would make me believe that maybe a good "feel" comparison would be between my 400 HP ICE and say a base model S 75/85?

I love all the replies and am super jealous you all have bad ass tesla models - but all the high end trims replying is hard to gauge. That's like asking the general question "are BMWs fun" and only having M3 and I8 owners reply lol

The difference between a PxxD and a xxD with the same pack is almost all at the bottom end.

Below 30 mph, the P accelerates much faster, while both cars are torque limited.

Somewhere in the 25-35 range, the P hits the battery power limit, and so its acceleration, while still greater than the other car, starts to decrease.

Somewhere around 55-60, the xxD also hits the battery limit, and from that point on there's only a ~50 horsepower difference between the two, which most folks with relevant experience said they can't feel.

 

[JeffK]

On a barely related side note - how is it possible that the state of Iowa is going to totally buy in to alternative energy and become the #1 state for wind energy production thanks to Seimans - yet we have no tesla dealerships and Ive only seen one tesla in the 5 years since they've become popular and it was model X?!?!?! What the heck Iowa...

They've banned Tesla from giving test drives in Iowa. Sometimes people from surrounding states bring their cars down for private test drive events as a protest against Iowa laws.

Where I live, Teslas are all over the place, I might see one or two a day. One nice weekend I saw seven separate vehicles one a single trip. When you see so many you start to get a little snobby.... I think "oh you have one of the old pre-facelift models"...says the guy who can't even afford one at all yet .

 

[Hixson]

They've banned Tesla from giving test drives in Iowa. Sometimes people from surrounding states bring their cars down for private test drive events as a protest against Iowa laws.

Where I live, Teslas are all over the place, I might see one or two a day. One nice weekend I saw seven separate vehicles one a single trip. When you see so many you start to get a little snobby.... I think "oh you have one of the old pre-facelift models"...says the guy who can't even afford one at all yet .

I had no idea Iowa banned test drives of Teslas - that makes so much sense now. Oh well - it would be really cool to be one of the only tesla drivers in Iowa next year if that's the route I end up going

 

[ummgood]

There Is Now an App That Allows a Tesla Model S to Sound like a Musclecar

the jet fighter is great!

I would love to meet that guy! He filmed that in Austin I recognize the hamburger restaurant at the end.

 

[DIL]

Bump. Great thread. Any updates from OP?

 

[Phrixotrichus]

I couldn`t care less about healing the world or any other environmental mission (considering the current infrastructure and production mechanisms EVs aren`t much better concerning the environment anyways)...buuut driving an EV is just fun.
You don`t know what torque really means until you`ve driven a high performance EV.

Now all I want is an EV with comparable build quality to my Mercedes and BMW ICEs....and Tesla was not quite there yet with their Model S/X.
I´m really looking forward to seeing if they got better with the Model 3...or if they can cause enough ruckus to give the classic premium brands the much needed kick in the ass....