Does anyone hear the COWBELL?

[Garlan Garner]

Just looking to see how many real / practical cowbells people are hearing and seeing.

I can hear this cowbell option:

BMW joins the mirrorless car club at CES



Anyone hearing any more cowbells? ( 3rd party cowbells are fair game also ).

 

[graphic]

I'm starting to not like BMW (Copy cats).
Nor do i appreciate jaguar (Copied Model S design)
Nissan (half baked autopilot)
Volvo (DON'T GET ME STARTED)
Just a list of haters and copy-cats, cheaters I can name off the top of my head. Be original!!!

 

[kzod]

Graphic? Have you looked at your avatar lately? That front hood doesn't look original to me. In fact the Model S is fairly generic innocous in today's wind tunnel design studios.

 

[Tiberius]

I'm starting to not like BMW (Copy cats).
Nor do i appreciate jaguar (Copied Model S design)
Nissan (half baked autopilot)
Volvo (DON'T GET ME STARTED)
Just a list of haters and copy-cats, cheaters I can name off the top of my head. Be original!!!

Being a copycat is unfortunately the norm in the auto business. Lexus ripped off the front of the '06ish GS 300 from Mercedes, and on and on. I suppose it's expected considering how the designers tend to bounce around between companies.

Tesla isn't immune either. The front of the model 3 looks like 2 parts Porsche and 1 part Ferrari... which is no coincidence.

I'm not defending it, but if that's a major issue then you probably won't be happy with any of the major companies.

 

[N5329K]

And the Model S is so Aston Martin that Aston Martin decided to build an electric sedan to look like the car that looks like an Aston Martin.
Robin

 

[Az_Rael]

I always thought the Model S looked like a Maserati. So much so, that when I see the one (Maserati) that lives near me, my first thought is always "oh! A Model.... wait"

 

[McHoffa]

Until every country allows it, it will only be in concept. The Model X prototype in 2012 had cameras, but they had to go with mirrors. The Model 3 prototype has mirrors. Maybe in a few years we'll actually see them.

I will comment on one part of the article though. They ask what happens when the camera gets dirty. Probably the same thing that happens when my side mirrors get fogged up or worse, get covered in frost/ice (which is sometimes really hard to scrape).

 

[zenmaster]

I'm starting to not like BMW (Copy cats).
Nor do i appreciate jaguar (Copied Model S design)
Nissan (half baked autopilot)
Volvo (DON'T GET ME STARTED)
Just a list of haters and copy-cats, cheaters I can name off the top of my head. Be original!!!

Are you serious? Where do you think Tesla copied thier Model S car design from?! Do some research.

Here you go. Now who came up with that general design first? Hint: design existed before Tesla.

Jaguar XF - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maserati Quattroporte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[JeffK]

I always thought the Model S looked like a Maserati. So much so, that when I see the one (Maserati) that lives near me, my first thought is always "oh! A Model.... wait"

Same same thought here, I see them both near my house every day and until they turn and face head on, I can confuse the two at a quick glance. Would rather have the Model S any day.

 

[hockeythug]

As they are still not approved here, no.

 

[AngelArm1110]

that looks pretty sweet, I'd be interested to try driving with a system like that

 

[graphic]

Tesla isn't immune either. The front of the model 3 looks like 2 parts Porsche and 1 part Ferrari... which is no coincidence.

I understand the Model 3 looks SOMETHING like a cross between a Porsche and Ferrari, but its a unique look to me (no grille) and its different. At least they crossed between 2 cars to come up with something different, unlike Jaguar who "It seems to me" just jacked the whole design (bumper to bumper) and ran with it...lol!!

 

[StraightDave]

I'm starting to not like BMW (Copy cats).
Nor do i appreciate jaguar (Copied Model S design)
Nissan (half baked autopilot)
Volvo (DON'T GET ME STARTED)
Just a list of haters and copy-cats, cheaters I can name off the top of my head. Be original!!!

If there were no copy cats or cheaters then we'd still be driving the Model T.

Some of you doppy Tesla bots need to understand by the time you read about the latest technology the industry is already woking on something better. And Tesla is not the only car maker in this world so lighten up, Francis.

 

[ksquared]

No doubt that Tesla "borrowed" heavily from Maserati. But the best example of a successful design ripoff is Ford's grill from Aston Martin.

 

[Mishakim]

Until every country allows it, it will only be in concept. The Model X prototype in 2012 had cameras, but they had to go with mirrors. The Model 3 prototype has mirrors. Maybe in a few years we'll actually see them.

When the big 3 unveiled their first attempts at hybrids in 2000 (none of which came to market), at least one had cameras instead of mirrors and IIRC all three did. Camera and monitor tech are much better now, so I'd hope it can finally get approved.
One detail I haven't seemed mentioned this time around, is that since the view in the monitor doesn't vary with driver head position, they don't have to be adjustable like mirrors do. Of course you do lose parallax-based depth perception.

 

[WileyTheMan]

A lot of my German co-workers swear the MS borrowed a ton of design cues from Audi.

But like previous posters stated: This is how the car industry works. They borrow successful designs from each other, and apparently they all understand that, because you don't see a whole lot of suing going on.

 

[graphic]

And Tesla is not the only car maker in this world so lighten up, Francis

You must be from Ford!

 

[WileyTheMan]

You must be from Ford!

Or from boot camp.

 

[McHoffa]

When the big 3 unveiled their first attempts at hybrids in 2000 (none of which came to market), at least one had cameras instead of mirrors and IIRC all three did. Camera and monitor tech are much better now, so I'd hope it can finally get approved.
One detail I haven't seemed mentioned this time around, is that since the view in the monitor doesn't vary with driver head position, they don't have to be adjustable like mirrors do. Of course you do lose parallax-based depth perception.

Japan just said yes to mirrorless cars, and EU/US should be there in the next couple years. That will be too late for Model 3 owners. At least for the first batch (unfortunately). I'm sure by 2020, a good portion of cars will have cameras instead, and our Model 3s will all look outdated.

Japan Says Yes To Mirrorless Cars

 

[Jersey Shore Tom]

Japan just said yes to mirrorless cars, and EU/US should be there in the next couple years. That will be too late for Model 3 owners. At least for the first batch (unfortunately). I'm sure by 2020, a good portion of cars will have cameras instead, and our Model 3s will all look outdated.

Japan Says Yes To Mirrorless Cars

Interesting.

I would certainly pay say $1000 to have all of hardware and software required for the camera system installed in our Model 3. Especially if The mirrors were designed so they could be removed easily if and when US allows mirrorless cars.

Note: my wife is away on business this week, so she loses her vote.