Model 3 Mule Sightings

[Fiver]

I'm not quite sure what you are saying about the X. Like the 3, there were no official reveals in the months leading up to the first deliveries, but about 6 months before first deliveries they started test driving cars that turned out to be pretty much exactly what they ended up shipping.

What? They drove around X's with totally different nose cones for the entire testing period, and surprised everyone with the new nose on the delivery day. Remember delivery day? When they delivered 6 hand built X's to founders so they could claim they shipped the X before the end of Q3 so Elon would get his release milestone rewards? ( but then only shipped ~200 more before the end of the year?)

Man looking back, the X rollout was a really crazy sh*t show. Let's hope when they say "we learned a lesson from that" that they really did.

 

[ccutrer]

What? They drove around X's with totally different nose cones for the entire testing period, and surprised everyone with the new nose on the delivery day. Remember delivery day? When they delivered 6 hand built X's to founders so they could claim they shipped the X before the end of Q3 so Elon would get his release milestone rewards? ( but then only shipped ~200 more before the end of the year?)

Man looking back, the X rollout was a really crazy sh*t show. Let's hope when they say "we learned a lesson from that" that they really did.

I recall they drove around test X's with a black covering over the front end. Then on "delivery" day, we saw it uncovered, and realized it looked basically exactly the same as it had with the cover over it, even though people were expecting it to somehow be magical beyond reality.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I recall they drove around test X's with a black covering over the front end. Then on "delivery" day, we saw it uncovered, and realized it looked basically exactly the same as it had with the cover over it, even though people were expecting it to somehow be magical beyond reality.

Well, some people. Some notable people lost bets. But there was actually a fairly large and vocal part of TMC that analyzed the situation and correctly believed what we are seeing is quite possibly what we are getting. Many things such as the active spoiler - and even (though delayed) Drive PX were predicted (which was opposed by the argument that Tesla used Mobileye).

For my part, these edited images were posted on TMC months before reveal and much discussed:

Model X mules - is the nose cone gone?
[Rumor] Nose cone will be body colored on the X
[Concept] Model X image without nose-cone and A pillar cross-beam

 

[T34ME]

I hope they chance the thale lights becose these are realy small and ugly.

This is the rear fascia I would have preferred because the duckbill on the rear sort of mimics the front fascia but its not gonna happen. Guess we will have to wait for aftermarket to provide something if I want to change.

 

[yesup]

I'm fine with the spareness but would really rather see the screen embedded instead of floating away from the dash... I am sure there is a reason though... guess we will know in 2-3 months!

Floating screen has been the design trend in recent years (BMW, Audi, Mercedes...). It allows thin and low dash despite ever expanding screen size and higher screen positioning.

I know, I know, chances are that's the final one, but it's so spartan and unimpressive, I don't see how that will match up with the ICE competition.

I disagree with your description of it being unimpressive. On the contrary, most people who have not sat inside a Tesla before would be impressed by the giant screen as compared with most other ICE cars.

 

[PV1]

I'm not quite sure what you are saying about the X. Like the 3, there were no official reveals in the months leading up to the first deliveries, but about 6 months before first deliveries they started test driving cars that turned out to be pretty much exactly what they ended up shipping. Likewise, I see no reason to believe the current Model 3 test cars are not pretty much what will end up shipping. I have no idea what you mean by "reveal 1 gave us the current crop of test cars", because these test cars are clearly not any of the prototype cars they built a year ago.

What I meant by reveal 1 was that, other than color and some minor subtleties, The current test cars don't appear to be much different than what was unveiled in 2016. This is a considerable departure from how the model S was handled.

 

[Petra]

On the contrary, most people who have not sat inside a Tesla before would be impressed by the giant screen as compared with most other ICE cars.

It's not the large screen that's impressive, it's what's on said screen and the lack of overall interior clutter.

 

[Fiver]

Well, some people. Some notable people lost bets. But there was actually a fairly large and vocal part of TMC that analyzed the situation and correctly believed what we are seeing is quite possibly what we are getting.

I fully will acknowledge that I was a person who was convinced the weird S nosecone was coming to the X based on the mules. I'll also admit I was wrong on that. I do like what eventually was revealed as the final nose though.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I fully will acknowledge that I was a person who was convinced the weird S nosecone was coming to the X based on the mules. I'll also admit I was wrong on that. I do like what eventually was revealed as the final nose though.

I like the end-result too. It was much better than my Photoshops!

 

[JoaoD]

Has someone sighted another Model 3 and did not take photos? Or are they really gone from the wild?

 

[Mergoscia]

This is the rear fascia I would have preferred because the duckbill on the rear sort of mimics the front fascia but its not gonna happen. Guess we will have to wait for aftermarket to provide something if I want to change.
View attachment 224131

It is a question of taste. Luckely not everybody has the same. The world would be pretty boring if it was.
But as well the present rear facia as the rear facia of the Tesla model 3 concept art (too much BMW-look) are not realy to my taste. The rear facia of the Model S is an example of a good alternative between American, Australian, Canadian, Chinese, European and Japanese tastes.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

To me that concept is actually quite Mercedes-like...

 

[22522]

The key here is that by integrating the charger in with the garage door opener, no additional electrical service outlet is needed. Further, the position of the charger handle can be different when the door is open or no car is present vs. when the car is in its spot ready to charge.

 

[Twiglett]

The key here is that by integrating the charger in with the garage door opener, no additional electrical service outlet is needed. Further, the position of the charger handle can be different when the door is open or no car is present vs. when the car is in its spot ready to charge.

I'm not aware of any home garage door opener that requires 220V though, most modern homes are prewired for a 110V outlet in the ceiling for an opener to be fitted, making that a 40 or 50amp 220V is quite a change.
Much easier to get a 14-50 installed on a wall

 

[tomas]

I'm not aware of any home garage door opener that requires 220V though, most modern homes are prewired for a 110V outlet in the ceiling for an opener to be fitted, making that a 40 or 50amp 220V is quite a change.
Much easier to get a 14-50 installed on a wall

Don't let details ruin a neat drawing.....

 

[North75]

The key here is that by integrating the charger in with the garage door opener, no additional electrical service outlet is needed. Further, the position of the charger handle can be different when the door is open or no car is present vs. when the car is in its spot ready to charge.

Not in Europe. Residential is all 220V. This company appears to be German.
Granted you'd still need the high amps.
They have some parking garage charging concepts that look interesting as well.

 

[sitter_k]

To me that concept is actually quite Mercedes-like...

Also kind of looks like they new Lincoln...

 

[gregincal]

What? They drove around X's with totally different nose cones for the entire testing period, and surprised everyone with the new nose on the delivery day. Remember delivery day? When they delivered 6 hand built X's to founders so they could claim they shipped the X before the end of Q3 so Elon would get his release milestone rewards? ( but then only shipped ~200 more before the end of the year?)

Man looking back, the X rollout was a really crazy sh*t show. Let's hope when they say "we learned a lesson from that" that they really did.

Um, no. They had some stuffing and vinyl wrap disguising the nose, but underneath the car was manufactured with the exact nose that was in the final car (you can easily see the "mustache"). Disguising a mule is totally different from manufacturing a final candidate that is not in fact final.

 

[flamingoezz]

Whats up with the lack of mules the past week or so. You'd think as they produce more, we'd see more of them on the road.

 

[T34ME]

Um, no. They had some stuffing and vinyl wrap disguising the nose, but underneath the car was manufactured with the exact nose that was in the final car (you can easily see the "mustache"). Disguising a mule is totally different from manufacturing a final candidate that is not in fact final.

What I don't understand is if the TM3 spotted a couple of weeks ago is the release model, why wouldn't Elon run some minimal camo on it like the MX above? I think the recent pictures are very close to the final product, but I still think that Elon has some surprises in store for us in July. They will not be drastic from a design standpoint. They will be subtle but significant (no not HUD) perhaps like a minor rework of the trunk. I still don't think we have seen the final interior.