It's Model S Weekend at Tesla Santana Row 3/17 & 18 and new Model S Design Studio

[TEG]

Showing off the Model X Concept:

 

[AnOutsider]

Wheel choices:

The performance wheel looks better in the (digital) flesh!

 

[TEG]

A base tire (Goodyear Eagle RSA2):

 

[jerry33]

email tesla about that -- they will fix it for you. My account was like that as well, there's some config step that doesn't always happen properly it seems...

/Mitch.

I did. Several days ago. I suspect they are a little to busy to fix it.

 

[TEG]

A sig tire (Continental ExtremeContact):

 

[gmontem]

I took some pictures with my windows phone and gray card. Not the greatest but here they are: Skydrive link

Most of the my impressions are on par with many here. Some weird nitpick, observations, etc--

- Anyone play with the turn signals? It plays this annoying sound that resembles the volume adjustment sound in Mac OS X.
- The touchscreen in the white S wasn't as responsive as I hoped, especially with Google Maps and the web browser.
- The $950 sound studio package didn't work.
- A lot of features were conveniently disabled. How can Tesla expect to improve their product if we cannot stress test it for free? :wink:
- The door can be opened with a gentle touch on the door knob (after it has popped out). Some of the cars have some lighting on the knob.
- The white S car has some manufacturing defects. I hope their KUKA overlords perfect their processes soon.
- I sat in the rear for the first time (I sat in the front for the test drive). I'm about 5' 6" and found my head being able to hit the ceiling. NOT GOOD.
- There is no hands-free way to open the rear lift gate.
- There is no little overhead compartment to store your sunglasses, lip balm, condoms, whatever. Instead, a small speaker grill takes its place as well as a microphone. I presume this is for the Bluetooth hands free profile.
- There is no storage bin hidden in the cupholder compartment.
- It looks like you can open the trunk from the inside. I couldn't find a button in the frunk to do the same.
- The two tone interior color is fugly.

Btw, my wife told me someone wearing a Tesla jacket may have taken pictures of my baby girl at the Tesla store. I hope those get posted because I'm curious to see them. LOL

 

[TEG]

Seems the arrival of the Model X prompted someone else to show off their gull-wing doors too:

 

[TEG]

The performance wheel looks better in the (digital) flesh!

Outside reflecting more light:

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Some pics from my end - not much new really; got a couple of shots of a configured Blue and Green regular Model S from the design studio with piano black decor and black nappa leather.

Both the Blue and Green looked great! Family finally settled on Blue!

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Design studio:

 

[Norbert]

- I sat in the rear for the first time (I sat in the front for the test drive). I'm about 5' 6" and found my head being able to hit the ceiling. NOT GOOD.

How is this possible? I'm over 6' and had ample head room left on the rear seat (In the white S with panoramic roof). My guess was that someone 6'4" to 6'5", if not more, should be fine. (And then the possibility of resting the head in front of the back beam as the space extends further up to the glass).

 

[TEG]

How is this possible? I'm over 6' and had ample head room left on the rear seat (In the white S with panoramic roof)...

Body types differ. For instance, I am just under 6' but hit my head on the liner in a lot of cars because I have short legs, and a tall torso.
My wife and I are roughly the same height, but when we both sit down my head is much higher because she has long legs and a short torso.

 

[Norbert]

*They improved the lacewood to the point I really like it now. A nice subtle accent. I'm very pleased.

Yes, lacewood is very nice, compared to the photos from October (and I've seen in only on photos before Friday), a huge improvement. I'm torn between Banana Leaf and Carbon Fiber, but I'd be happy with any of the four.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Body types differ. For instance, I am just under 6' but hit my head on the liner in a lot of cars because I have short legs, and a tall torso.
My wife and I are roughly the same height, but when we both sit down my head is much higher because she has long legs and a short torso.

Yup, long legs, normal torso, 6' 1" in all in my case. Ooooodles of legroom and headroom in the back! My coincidentally 5' 6" wife loved the middle seat in the back with all the room that a gasser's tunnel has always prevented!

 

[Norbert]

Body types differ. For instance, I am just under 6' but hit my head on the liner in a lot of cars because I have short legs, and a tall torso.
My wife and I are roughly the same height, but when we both sit down my head is much higher because she has long legs and a short torso.

OK. I wasn't aware of being atypical in either direction, and almost 1' is quite a difference, so quite surprising for me. (Was already wondering whether their betas are different or some have adjustable height or so).

 

[Kipernicus]

How is this possible? I'm over 6' and had ample head room left on the rear seat (In the white S with panoramic roof). My guess was that someone 6'4" to 6'5", if not more, should be fine. (And then the possibility of resting the head in front of the back beam as the space extends further up to the glass).

There's a lot more headroom in the back with the panoramic roof than without. I tested it today - my head (6' tall) was hitting the liner of the regular roof but had lots of room with the pano roof. Somehow the liner of the regular roof is super thick, and with the pano roof it is thick at the sides by the doors where all the mechanisms are, but where the glass is it's quite thin leaving extra headroom.

 

[Kipernicus]

- There is no hands-free way to open the rear lift gate.

I really hope they can make this happen - I talked about it with Neil for a bit today. It would just make so much sense since the tech package brings remote unlocking and power liftgate. Just add a sensor under the bumper and we've got it!

 

[Kipernicus]

Some pics from my end - not much new really; got a couple of shots of a configured Blue and Green regular Model S from the design studio with piano black decor and black nappa leather.

Both the Blue and Green looked great! Family finally settled on Blue!

Sorry I didn't run into you today, GG. I was too busy checking out the cars and making sure my kids didn't break anything. The Tesla reps were quite watchful as well, but like someone said, this would have been a real life stress test and they should have let all the kids go at it! Anyways, it was good fun and my son kept saying "I love the Tesla!"

PS - made the mistake of going to Valley Fair afterwards.. ugh what crowds!

 

[shokunin]

Outside reflecting more light:

Oh my, LOVE the performance wheel, nice gunmetal color. I can't even believe that I'm now pondering the performance version JUST to get these wheels and CF interior. Decisions... at least I've got 9 months or longer to ponder.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Sorry I didn't run into you today, GG. I was too busy checking out the cars and making sure my kids didn't break anything. The Tesla reps were quite watchful as well, but like someone said, this would have been a real life stress test and they should have let all the kids go at it! Anyways, it was good fun and my son kept saying "I love the Tesla!"

No worries, K. The Tesla reps inside the store were actually wonderful with the kids! They were handing out goodies - balloons, keychains to anchor the balloons, T-branded crayons, puzzle sheets (my son had fun painting the Model S on paper and tracing along the UMC cables to their cars!) and were encouraging kids to play with the design studio (if they could reach the screens, that is)! Tesla's doing well to cultivate the next gen - my 5.5-year old son already proclaims to buy only an electric car when he grows up and that too only a Tesla!