Model 3 spotted in the wild!

[ecarfan]

The only difference between that video and the other one is the first 8 seconds. After that it is the same scene shown in the video already posted.

Here's another video. Looks like no one posted this one.

 

[gregd]

Here's another video. Looks like no one posted this one.

Ok, for the measuring fanatics out there. This video's perfect, but I'm not that good with Photoshop / Gimp / Krita / whatever to do this.

We need two screen captures:

Stop it at about the 11 second mark, where the front of the MS is exactly aligned with the "no crossing" sign post.

Move forward to about 13 seconds where the M3 nose is exactly in the same place. Yes, the camera is zoomed. Don't care about that.

Now, RESIZE the MS picture so that the people in the background at the curb, or the vertical cement pillar of the building lines up in both pictures, keeping the sign post aligned. You'll need to rotate the MS picture slightly too.

Overlay the two, M3 on top, with some transparency on the M3. You are now looking at a roughly diagonal compare between the two cars, at exactly the same scale.

So, how long is the M3?

 

[Pando]

Ok, for the measuring fanatics out there. This video's perfect, but I'm not that good with Photoshop / Gimp / Krita / whatever to do this.

We need two screen captures:

Stop it at about the 11 second mark, where the front of the MS is exactly aligned with the "no crossing" sign post.

Move forward to about 13 seconds where the M3 nose is exactly in the same place. Yes, the camera is zoomed. Don't care about that.

Now, RESIZE the MS picture so that the people in the background at the curb, or the vertical cement pillar of the building lines up in both pictures, keeping the sign post aligned. You'll need to rotate the MS picture slightly too.

Overlay the two, M3 on top, with some transparency on the M3. You are now looking at a roughly diagonal compare between the two cars, at exactly the same scale.

So, how long is the M3?

About 180 inches. Already answered in this thread:
Model 3 Dimensions

 

[Zoomit]

Already been done, see Model 3 Dimensions thread.

Edit: yeah what Pando said...

 

[LaCostaRacer]

I tried to guestimate the length of the M3 compared to the the length of the motorcycle by stopping the frame with the police escort near front bumper.- it would have been great if the bike came on the drivers side so I had to guess were the bike ended behind the car. It seems like the M3 is at least double the length of the cycle. The approximate length of a Kawasaki police bike is about 90.2 inches- looks like M3 is around 180 inches and possibly a little longer. I see the HOG police bike is around 96" so 180 inches is very conservative because that was likely the bike type in the video.

 

[gregd]

Already been done, see Model 3 Dimensions thread.

Edit: yeah what Pando said...

Thanks, you guys are good!

 

[jkk_]

Now we only need width and height.

 

[GoTslaGo]

For height, if anyone was at the reveal and has a pic or video with them standing next to the 3, they can calculate the height (assuming you know your own height). Width, I'll stay away from that one for now...

 

[Red Sage]

I believe from the test drive videos the license plates just said model 3 and I don't think they were actual plated. I wonder if prototypes even have a VIN.

The Model ☰ vehicles seen in other instances of 'In the Wild' since the reveal do have actual license plates, though they are of the 'MFG' variety. The cars will have VINs though... Check out this site:

VIN Decoder | TeslaTap

The 12th position in a VIN, 'Build Phase Code', shows what would cover these early cars...

A = Alpha Prototype
B = Beta Prototype
E = Evaluation Prototype, Roadster
F = Founder Series Vehicle
M = Mule, Roadster, early prototype
P = Production Vehicle
R = Release Candidate Vehicle
S = Signature Series Vehicle
V = Validation Prototype, Roadster​

So, Alpha, Beta, Evaluation, Validation, and Release Candidate vehicles are the sorts of cars that are 'Development' vehicles, and don't apply toward the IRS total even though operated in the US. I believe only the Production vehicles count toward the 200,000 total that initiates the phaseout of Federal Tax Credits.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

The Model ☰ vehicles seen in other instances of 'In the Wild' since the reveal do have actual license plates, though they are of the 'MFG' variety. The cars will have VINs though... Check out this site:

VIN Decoder | TeslaTap

The 12th position in a VIN, 'Build Phase Code', shows what would cover these early cars...

A = Alpha Prototype
B = Beta Prototype
E = Evaluation Prototype, Roadster
F = Founder Series Vehicle
M = Mule, Roadster, early prototype
P = Production Vehicle
R = Release Candidate Vehicle
S = Signature Series Vehicle
V = Validation Prototype, Roadster​

So, Alpha, Beta, Evaluation, Validation, and Release Candidate vehicles are the sorts of cars that are 'Development' vehicles, and don't apply toward the IRS total even though operated in the US. I believe only the Production vehicles count toward the 200,000 total that initiates the phaseout of Federal Tax Credits.

They can build 1,000 prototypes if they want (they won't..), but between prototypes, and the cars they have to give to the NHTSA for crash testing, those DO NOT count towards the 200K. Only vehicles delivered to customers count towards that number.

 

[ggnykk]

Motor Trend's photoshoot of Model 3 outside of Gigafactory.

 

[ggnykk]

Model 3 with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.