Model S needs a major visual overhaul, and Plaid announcement means it's not happening [Speculation]

[byeLT4]

Please point us to references of the solid roof leaking. How is that even possible? I assume you're referring to the all-glass roof and not the metal body-colored roof? The only way I see the all-glass roof leaking is if it was cracked. I suppose it could leak around the edges but that would be possible for the panoramic roof too, in addition to the known leaky issues of the sunroof.

Water leak in 2013 Model S with no roof

Oops, OK, technically it is from the seal in the rear. And reading through the thread it happens on pano roofs as well. It has been a while since I read it and I guess I just remembered solid roof leak. My bad

 

[dgpcolorado]

Many have mentioned interior updates they'd like to see but I don't think I've seen the one I'd like most: grab handles. Watching my nonagenarian parents struggle to get into and out of my Model S — I try to help them as best I can — has long had me coveting the grab handles found in so many other cars. I think that there is such a thing as "too minimalist" when it comes to interiors.

 

[4SUPER9]

Why do people hate chrome trim so much?

I don't know either. What's so wrong about chrome trim?

 

[trm2]

did someone mention chrome?

 

[AMPd]

Panamera's front was always good but its back was just misshapen (though it looked much better in real life than pictures). With the 2017 redesign they've totally nailed it. It's the best looking big luxury sedan now, in my opinion.

Yeah the old rear end design I did not like at all. Too bloated looking.

 

[SSonnentag]

The S needs:

• height-adjustable seat belts
• door pockets
• alcantara (again)
• camera rear view mirror
• revised design on the visor mirror covers that don't break
• revised headlight accents that down brown-out
• fix for the acceleration shudder
• fix for the frontend clunking over bumps
• motorized frunk hood open/close.
• 12V outlet in the rear hatch area

That's all I can come up with at the moment.

 

[DukeofURL]

This is the way I see it:

• We know* that they will need the new battery tech in order to put down enough power for Plaid's planned numbers.
  
• We know that the new battery tech involves new stamped body trays, and using the new integral battery as a support member.
  
• We know that in order to implement these technologies, a significant amount of engineering work will need to go into the body/frame (it's not just dropping in a new pack using the current footprint).
• If the body/frame are being re-engineered to fit the new batteries, we know it wouldn't be much more work (or possibly no extra work) to update certain things along the way.
• While the exterior body is being reworked to fit a new frame, the interior locations such as where the seats are affixed, etc will need to be updated as well. This makes interior updates not as much as an investment as you're already working around it as well.

Now, what we don't know is what they plan on doing. They could very well just re-engineer everything as-is to fit to the new platform with as minimal changes as possible. They could do something stupid like make the interior the same across all cars (which would be a terrible mistake to have a $40k interior in a $140k car), or they could improve upon the materials, fit, and finish (lord knows there's room for improvement there).

I know they don't "do refreshes", but there is far more likeliness that we'll see things change than stay the same. How much we can't tell just yet with what we know, but I'm almost certain the deposit I put down was for whatever car they whip up next year**, and not the picture they used as a placeholder on the website. I have hope they won't screw it up, and that they don't get bogged down with redoing too many things and pushing the date out further and further.

* While we can't be "certain", it would be quite difficult to get that power out of 18650s in the current battery form factor
** Or the year after that, or... :/

 

[cab]

This thread is pretty funny. EVERY carmaker does significant refreshes for the majority of their cars every 6-8 years. The overall look of SOME models may not change dramatically as they are trying not to alienate previous buyers and, and in some cases, they are trying to maintain historical brand/model clues. However, the number of shared parts between generations is generally very, very low.

Tesla hasn’t re-designed the Model S because of some mythical god-like design (which is just a Jaguar / Aston Martin derivative). They’ve not done it because it is low on their priority list and is a low volume car...there’s not enough money in it relative to what people buy: small SUVs and trucks. They keep producing it because that design is sunk cost (basically, it’s paid for), and it is still a bit of a halo car (primarily because of the performance).

Honestly, if Tesla could snap their fingers and get all the Fremont floor space used up by the S back for another model, I’m sure they would do it in a heartbeat. Heck, when I did the factory tour a couple of years ago I was shocked at the poor use of space and what looked like a niche car maker’s low volume operation for the S.

 

[blackhawk]

I love the S design and dislike the 3 and Y design strongly. If they “improve” the S to look like the front of the 3 and Y I’m not sure I would buy another S.

I would also miss the alcantara headliner and the wider selection of paint colors. And my #1 objection would be the lack of a solid roof as an option. I refuse to buy cars with glass or sunroofs. I totally understand why some people want glass, but it’s ridiculous to make glass mandatory.

Solid roof cars are:

- lighter, with lower center of gravity and better mileage
- quieter
- less UV exposure
- more private
- require less maintenance
- stronger. When Tesla broke the crush testing machine, it was a solid roof Model S.
- less likely to shatter
- don’t eject passengers in a roll over

I’m probably forgetting a few other reasons.

 

[Watts_Up]

I refuse to buy cars with glass or sunroofs.

Glass roof seems now the new normal...

Polestar is going to bring this cool electric car concept to production - Electrek​

 

[blackhawk]

Glass roof seems now the new normal...

One prototype from a company that barely makes any cars hardly defines normal.

None of the major car manufacturers force you to have glass. Mercedes is probably glad they didn’t make that dumb mistake, they already recalled nearly a million vehicles and paid a $30m fine in the US for just one type of glass roof failure. Hyundai and BMW are in the middle of similar lawsuits.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Raven updated the nose, now maybe something to clean up the tail a but.-

The refreshed front end came out in early 2016. Raven changes didn't come out until 3 years later, in 2019.

 

[Magellan55]

Wow - hard to keep up with this thread. I had a hard time choosing between glass and pano roofs, but at least I had a choice. My kids preferred the pano just because of the support beam across the middle - they were freaked out about something falling through the all-glass roof! But I couldn't give up that open cabin feel of the glass. Getting rid of the pano must have been cost shaving, like reducing the color choices. I recall a few years ago Musk stated the S would always have more options since it's the flagship. I guess the cream interior counts as "more"?

I still love the looks of the S. IMO, the only sedans that look as good are the Panamera, S7, and now Taycan. I gave serious thought to the Panamera hybrid, but it's battery range wouldn't last a daily commute.

 

[ucmndd]

Solid roof cars are:

- lighter, with lower center of gravity and better mileage
- quieter
- require less maintenance
- stronger. When Tesla broke the crush testing machine, it was a solid roof Model S.
- less likely to shatter
- don’t eject passengers in a roll over

I understand the personal preference and fully support lots of choices, but a great many of these are either speculative, significantly exaggerated, or just not true.

None of the roof crush strength comes from a flimsy aluminum panel. Glass roof model S are just as "strong" as solid roofs. The all-glass roof panel is laminated and doesn't shatter. It contributes basically zero to the likelihood of ejection in a rollover (99.9% of your risk here comes from whether or not you have a seatbelt on). I can't imagine any possible extra maintenance required of the all-glass roof vs. a metal roof.

Efficiency and center of gravity differences, in a ~5,000 pound car with a 1400 pound battery in the floor, are negligible to completely immeasurable.

 

[Mr X]

I’m 6’1 and had no issues with the solid roof.

i agree the model s design is beautiful. But personally there’s no sedan better looking than the Porsche Panamera. It’s just sooo smooth and sexy. And when that spoiler comes up... ooofff!
View attachment 592981 View attachment 592982

Looks ugly compared to this

 

[ZeeDoktor]

ew. pedestrian in spirit, and vulgar in every other sense.

 

[David_Cary]

Another advantage of a glass roof - easier to keep clean. I just love not worrying about scratching a huge area. And when the rest of the car looks dirty, the glass doesn't look bad.
But I have glass primarily for the open feeling and extra headroom.
The Porsche is certainly not that different and your opinion that is is "prettier" is certainly not universal.

 

[Catbiscuits]

The S needs:

• height-adjustable seat belts
• door pockets
• alcantara (again)
• camera rear view mirror
• revised design on the visor mirror covers that don't break
• revised headlight accents that down brown-out
• fix for the acceleration shudder
• fix for the frontend clunking over bumps
• motorized frunk hood open/close.
• 12V outlet in the rear hatch area

That's all I can come up with at the moment.

curious about why you want Alcantra back? It’s the only part of my 2017 90D (besides the center console) that seems really cheap. I don’t mean to come off like a jerk about this. I really am curious. Edify me so I can learn to love it.

my list would be

• Sunroof
• Nice center console that doesn’t seem to be sourced from k mart, even the ones in 3 and Y are much nicer
• Some update to the screen to account for Tesla designing for horizontal format now...rotation would be incredible
• 120v plugs in trunk (I mean cybertruck will have them)
• Better sport steering (model Y is so much more precise)
• Seat massager (just a software thing to move lumbar up and down but they are nice and don’t cost much)
• If you are selling such an expensive car, why not introduce some real luxury like climate control in the frunk.. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible to chill it way down so one could cool drinks. Maybe this would require a removable cooler, but why not. Take advantage of the new Y heat pump,

 

[SSonnentag]

curious about why you want Alcantra back? It’s the only part of my 2017 90D (besides the center console) that seems really cheap. I don’t mean to come off like a jerk about this. I really am curious. Edify me so I can learn to love it.

Well, I just like the feel and look of it. I grew up with old, used cars in the family (think vinyl and cracked plastics), so I'm not familiar with true luxury materials. To my untrained eye, Alcantara is a luxury material, much nicer than the thin, cheap-looking cloth that our S and X have now. I've always like suede leather, and Alcantara reminds me of suede, although without the wonderful leather smell.

 

[FreqFlyer]

1. Elon spent alot of time talking about battery and chassis tech. Why would you put the latest batteries in the oldest chassis that is built on a separate line from the 3/Y?

2. Elon not talking about the Plaid, in essence just laying it out there leads one to believe a new generation (what is a refresh) is coming out next year. He was trying not to sink present S sales because he dare not state Tesla is working on a new S/X.

3. Bet the Roadster will share much with the new S/X, will make the Roadster financial numbers easier to stomach since it will not be mass produced.

4. Whether some of you get a new S that looks the same is not really important. A new flagship with the latest chassis, improved NVH, luxurious interior, latest battery tech, and cheaper to build (higher margins) due to part sharing and production efficiencies is what's important. And if it looks the same as the present car, well, I guess that icing on the cake for some of you.