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Model S nose cone vs Model X front

Which would you prefer the S to have, X front or keep S nose cone?


  • Total voters
    127
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1208

Active Member
Dec 22, 2014
1,376
956
UK
Would you want the Model X front to replace the nose cone on the S?

Personally I do, a nose cone is pandering to ICE cars grill. The X front looks made for electric cars and is futuristic. I think it would give the S a face lift.
 
Pics for comparison...

S90D-Front-Quarter-Pearl-White4.jpg

section-exterior-primary-touch.jpg


I never really liked the nose cone. Can't say I hated it, but never liked it. Still I think I like the S front end better. If they ever do get rid of the nose cone on the S, I hope it looks better than the X's implementation
 
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I don't like any nose cone to replace the front grille of an ICE, including the MX front. There is no need for that brunt front, and I am willing to sacrifice some Frunk storage space for that. Sharpen the front and create a high front approach angle (resulting in better front clearance) would be my preference. I am just an armchair designer:tongue:
 
To my eye, the X's front end doesn't look premium. The S looks like a luxury car.

It's obvious that they teetered between using the nosecone (as in the X concept) and not, and ended in a compromised bumper design that basically just had to fill that space. It looks like a bandage over the mouth, or a thick mustache or something to me. An incongruous design choice, again to my eyes. Even if they removed the nosecone, adding a chrome oval or something would have looked better. It's too much body color, and it creates a plasticky appearance. I think a front license plate will improve the looks, which is required in many states thankfully :cool: The simple grill/logo looks very similar to current Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Just filling in the plastic bumper over the normally open grill doesn't scream premium or luxury or even futuristic EV to me.
 
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I think the model S looks better. I wish the would have made the black area on the Model X emphasize the T more by bringing point lower. It would break up the white area more and be very distinctive while setting a brand standard around the Tesla logo. The model S could follow suit. Electric versions of ICE cars would still have grills and it would allow Tesla to be distinctive as a car designed around electric.
 
I think the MS would look better with the X nose but I'm not going to vote for it because I don't want them to change it: then my MS would look dated!

It's bound to happen. The S is due a facelift.

As for the above I think I'd prefer the X if it had a licence plate, it would break up such a large expanse of flat colour. (Especially on non white cars)

- - - Updated - - -

Now with a front plate

Tesla With Plate.jpg
 
The S nose cone looks too much like other cars: even Ford has a similar grill shape. The X makes a clear statement that it's different (and better). The narrow "slit" of black now reinforces the appearance of explosive power. I've always thought the Model S headlights look like the eyes of a dragon (like Toothless from How to Train a Dragon). The X headlights look less angular, but continue match well with the "cutting edge" effect of the nose, giving an effect like it's squinting in concentration and about to attack.
 
Personally, I far prefer the Model S front to the Model X. X looks too plain.
Of course, having an S and no interest in an X, I may be biased...but it is all a matter of personal preference.
I do like the fact that the X can more easily accommodate a front license plate than the S.
 
All IMO of course, but the best is the Model S front but with no nosecone. That's kind of what the old 'saleen' version had and it looked good. There's no reason for the ugly nosecone look; it's especially ironic in that it attempts to mimic an old gas engine requirement, and really damages what is an otherwise nearly perfect aesthetic. It really makes no sense at all other than being a hatch but they can surely do something else for that. There is something weird about the Model X front though. Maybe it's that half-grille look. Anyway this is mostly irrelevant of course considering the brutal excellence of these cars. :)
 
All IMO of course, but the best is the Model S front but with no nosecone. That's kind of what the old 'saleen' version had and it looked good. There's no reason for the ugly nosecone look; it's especially ironic in that it attempts to mimic an old gas engine requirement, and really damages what is an otherwise nearly perfect aesthetic. It really makes no sense at all other than being a hatch but they can surely do something else for that. There is something weird about the Model X front though. Maybe it's that half-grille look. Anyway this is mostly irrelevant of course considering the brutal excellence of these cars. :)

Forget "ICE requirements", the front end design of the S looks complete -- the X does not. It's too much painted, non detailed surface. I don't like the look of it. If they wanted to dump the Nosecone, they could have designed it differently, offered some detail to it.

The Mules that were later stage had the nose cone, and they looked better than the production unit. I don't get the break from the design language here.... Why? To what upside? I am sure I will get use to it, but I hope the III has a better front end design.
 
Forget "ICE requirements", the front end design of the S looks complete -- the X does not. It's too much painted, non detailed surface. I don't like the look of it. If they wanted to dump the Nosecone, they could have designed it differently, offered some detail to it.

The Mules that were later stage had the nose cone, and they looked better than the production unit. I don't get the break from the design language here.... Why? To what upside? I am sure I will get use to it, but I hope the III has a better front end design.

I love how clean the new nose looks. Makes other cars look busy and cluttered. The detail is in the shape and lines -- not louvers and vents and grills and strips of chrome. Seems like the next iteration or refinement of the design language to me, as the S nosecone has some similar, but hard to see, lines.
 
Forget "ICE requirements", the front end design of the S looks complete -- the X does not. It's too much painted, non detailed surface. I don't like the look of it. If they wanted to dump the Nosecone, they could have designed it differently, offered some detail to it.

The Mules that were later stage had the nose cone, and they looked better than the production unit. I don't get the break from the design language here.... Why? To what upside? I am sure I will get use to it, but I hope the III has a better front end design.
The question is whether or not it's our preconceived notions of how an attractive car should look being informed by traditional ICE styling conventions that's coloring our view of the Model X. After all, the nosecone/front fascia of the Model S very much imitates traditional styling conventions and it does so for no reason other than making it seem "like a normal car". The solid black plastic kidneys on the front of the i3/i8 serve the same purpose... those kidney grilles are part of BMW's styling identity but it's a feature that's completely unnecessary now, so they slapped on some cheap shiny black plastic rather than reconcile their styling direction with the fact that an iconic piece of their styling only exists because of the cooling demands of an ICE.