Front End... Hmmmmmm

[Joules Verne]

I like the Porsche nose tweak. I hope they do this.

Yup, that'll fix her just fine.

They must have thought of that lower upper lip design. It's the obvious thing to do, as it fits with all the other lines of the car.

Yet, they didn't go with it. I wonder why?

Are they intentionally going for provocative?

 

[CHG-ON]

This is how I envision the front should look. That crease line under the headlights should proceed continuously across the front in a smooth curve. Looking at the top view it would mean the front cap would stick out a bit more - perhaps 3 inches. Mounting of the license plate could happen down closure to the ground. Look at my NSX avatar. I'm not required to have a front plate in PA - but if I did the plate would be mounted on a plastic bracket.View attachment 170142

I completely agree. I think the line of the prototype looks totally wrong. It seems to angle the wrong way, making it look terribly odd. Yours is the first suggestion for a modification that I have seen. Thanks for that!

 

[Xminus6]

I have the same problem with my 3-car garage. I have one parking space shortened by a built-in cabinet. I considered getting another CPO Model S 70D but can't park it in the garage with my current Model S and Honda Odyssey Minivan. The Tesla Model 3 will be perfect for that 3rd garage spot.

Wow. A Californian who parks all his cars in the garage. That's rare.

 

[n00bie]

 

[GregC]

Here's a couple of other cars that rather unsuccessfully explored this front end look in the sixties ---- good luck Tesla.

 

[GregC]

The lack of a grill is what seems to throw people (me included) off a bit. My whole life I have stared at cars with grills. Boring ones, cool ones, classic ones, etc. When I see the Model 3 front end I like it, because I understand why they likely did it.. reduce drag, increase range. I'm in.

It doesn't need it grille. The front styling just needs to be handled properly. They probably designed it that way for European pedestrian impact laws, but it IS clumsy looking. They need a redesign before production begins.

 

[voyager]

That is Corvette C7-like...

 

[n00bie]

really have to see from different angles and minus lens distortions. It looks quite aggressive from this photo.

 

[jdevo2004]

Elon just posted some early design sketches of the Model 3. I am particularly interested in this picture. I wonder if someone could do some photo shop magic to see what it would look like.

 

[vinnie97]

I think I'm getting over my initial dislike of the front end. At most angles, I have no qualms with it.

 

[Ebony Star]

I like the Porsche nose tweak. I hope they do this.

Looks great.

 

[James Anders]

I bet this is the main reason for the design. They've been obsessive about aerodynamics at Tesla -- in order to get maximum range. And it's just dumb to take a highly aerodynamic design and ruin it the moment you put on the legally required front licence plate! (I've always wondered how much range I lose from the plate in the Model S.)

So, everyone showing their alternative proposals for the front end? You're being silly and impractical. I have not seen a single alternative proposal *with a license plate on it*. If your image doesn't have a license plate, you're not making a serious proposal, you're just fantasizing that you can change the license plate laws in half the states and dozens of countries, which you can't.

Not one of you has proposed a better design, because *you haven't even proposed designs at all*. The license plate is an integral part of a complete design. Consider this a challenge.

There are and were numerous cars without blunt noses that had provisions for mounting front license plates. Usually, it's some kind of bracket.

Why cripple the aero efficiency of those vehicles that reside in the 19 states that don't require stupid and ugly front plates? And just like protruding side mirrors, which also kill aero efficiency there should be a movement to get the antiquated laws changes.

 

[Sunlight]

I'm sure the nose will 'change' (or we will...with time) before production - it looks sort of half-cocked and not as complete as the rest of the car. Maybe the tail lights need a bit of work too but overall I think it does what it set out to do. Namely to look 'classic' and Tesla-esque without dating too quickly or frightening the horses. A super contemporary 'trendy' look could have so easily back-fired and Tesla can't afford that at this point in its history.

The changes will, I suspect, be small as this car cannot afford getting into the MX spiral of amendments/improvements/perfection/just-getting-it-into-production..........

In that context a nose-job to the Porsche-style (ie pulling the line straight across the nose and rounding off the current flat nose shape) or to the MX style would both be easy (see previous posts). Indeed the MX-option could even be offered as a 'add-on' extra for those who wanted it!

Still 300k crowd-funders can't all be wrong or offended...........

 

[bigbear]

That blue car, does it have a grill or is that just a shadow? Hi Elon!

 

[eisbock]

Here's my rendition. Just took a simple tweak.

View attachment 170325

This is great and what most of us were expecting. I bet somebody will make a nice vinyl sticker that looks exactly like that X front and you can be damn sure I will buy it.

 

[eisbock]

This is how it should be....

View attachment 170271

Much better. I wonder if it's even necessary to continue the crease? What about blending the headlight creases into a rounded front?

 

[Takumi]

This is how it should be....

View attachment 170271

I think they're reserving this change for the next Model S. With the current design, the conversation it's generating is too good for free PR. Tesla is controlling the narrative and for now, Tesla just want people to talk about certain aspects of an ICE. If the front weren't as polarizing we wouldn't be talking about it as much.

Cupid's Bow is what people are really looking for.

 

[eisbock]

Elon just posted some early design sketches of the Model 3. I am particularly interested in this picture. I wonder if someone could do some photo shop magic to see what it would look like.

What's fascinating about this is it looks like a grill (or at least grill design) was part of the initial thought process for the 3. And then along came the eraser tool...

Also, you can see the headlight creases line up with the top of the "snout". Looks far more natural.

 

[MissAutobahn]

All car companies try to get a sort of "family-face" so that you can recognize them right away as part of their brand (see RolceRoyce, BMW, Audi, etc...). I find this interpretation of the Tesla-family very recognizable as typical Tesla. Like Eisbock wrote above, me too would pimp the front of my "three" with that sticker.

I hope this will be the final design.
...although i saw some pictures where it reminds me a bit of Donald Duck

 

[voyager]

Since a couple here referred to the Porsche Panamera's front end.... here are the very latest pictures of the new Panamera...