Model S Nose Cone Designs (Prototype, Alpha, Beta and beyond)

[PV4EV]

That's cool. Is this your photoshop design with the grille? That's what the performance version should look like.

Yup!

I realise the Model S had to have something on the front to optimise the Cd etc, but every time I look at a photo of the production car, all I see is a gaping chrome-rimmed black shiny panel.

So the other night I did some pixel pushing (oddly, I wasn't using photoshop either!) to see if I could add some 'fake' grill lines, even though in reality there doesn't need to be any kind of grill or radiator inlet. The images are a bit rough n ready, but they achieve what I set out to do.

I kinda like Mod 3 below, it would be the easiest to produce and seems to make the car look a whole load more purposeful :-

 

[kevincwelch]

Wow! Nice editing!

I like mod 3 the best as well.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Mod 3 is pure evil! Great job! Are you watching, Franz?!

 

[AnOutsider]

It reminds me of the alphas a bit. Should be easy enough to fabricate I'd imagine?

 

[SCW-Greg]

Yup!

I realise the Model S had to have something on the front to optimise the Cd etc, but every time I look at a photo of the production car, all I see is a gaping chrome-rimmed black shiny panel.

So the other night I did some pixel pushing (oddly, I wasn't using photoshop either!) to see if I could add some 'fake' grill lines, even though in reality there doesn't need to be any kind of grill or radiator inlet. The images are a bit rough n ready, but they achieve what I set out to do.

I kinda like Mod 3 below, it would be the easiest to produce and seems to make the car look a whole load more purposeful :-

Yeah, I thought they took a step back when they introduced the current nose. Your mod 3 and 4 here are way better! Maybe an aftermarket business here?!

 

[vfx]

Franz pointed out as we stood at the nose the other night that they started out with typical airflow through the nose but as the engineers kept cutting back on the need they dropped the AC and powertrain cooling down low to make huge gains in aerodynamics.

 

[Right_Said_Fred]

Nice photoshops, but I absolutely prefer the way the front looks right now

 

[jerry33]

Mod #3 looks the best to me too. Anything to get rid of the [expletive deleted] chrome.

 

[Bardlebee]

Interesting, though I liked the chrome grill prior that wasn't the mesh. I think the new one has grown on me a lot.

 

[tdelta1000]

I like Mod 3 as well.

 

[favo]

I wonder how much drag those ridges might add. And how easy it would be to make it look like ridges, but remain smooth.

 

[AnOutsider]

Mod Note: Updated thread title and brought in posts with nose photoshop jobs. Would be cool if some of these designs were eventually brought to market!

 

[MikeK]

That grille with the badge on the hood is awesome

It harkens back to the alphas. [video]http://player.vimeo.com/video/18614767[/video]

 

[Johan]

I for one don't like the look of the shiny nose cone. Love PV4EV's suggestions with the fake grill but some work would go into this. My suggestion is something that I think just about anyone could do on their own, with very little skill required and very little cost: put on some black matte vinyl wrap. Tried to do a PS job of what it kind of might look like (not good with PS).

Got the idea when I saw the pics of the roadster that TMC member Andre Wolfe has just bought (see this thread), image below. Anyway, I think it's doable. Maybe $20 for the vinyl film, some cleaning, a knife and a blow dryer?

 

[Robert.Boston]

I think one of the vinyl "carbon fiber" options will be great on the nose cone, especially now that TM has pulled the CF from the front valance and rear diffuser.

 

[Dborn]

I think one of the vinyl "carbon fiber" options will be great on the nose cone, especially now that TM has pulled the CF from the front valance and rear diffuser.

Agree. I was planning to do just that. Fortunately, I have a cousin in the sign business/ car wrap business. He can also do much the same with the interior, if you don't like the current choices. B pillar "carbon fiber" is also a possible. I would, however, caution against "DIY". - Muck it up and it will look terrible.

 

[jbherman]

I think one of the vinyl "carbon fiber" options will be great on the nose cone, especially now that TM has pulled the CF from the front valance and rear diffuser.

I agree. I've been thinking the same thing. The Model X nose cone has some CF accents. I think it looks great and would work well on the S, as well. I can't find a good enough picture to show the detail, but I saw it in person at the Santa Monica store and was impressed.

 

[AnOutsider]

I agree. I've been thinking the same thing. The Model X nose cone has some CF accents. I think it looks great and would work well on the S, as well. I can't find a good enough picture to show the detail, but I saw it in person at the Santa Monica store and was impressed.

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[jbherman]

View attachment 7663

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If I remember correctly, there is also CF behind the shiny portion of the nose cone, which doesn't show well in the photo. It was subtle and quite beautiful, in my opinion. Maybe I was hallucinating, given the overall beauty of the car in person!

 

[Doug_G]

This is interesting... looks like Hyundai imitated the Tesla nose cone in their new 2013 Elantra: