Model S Plaid - 6 Months Later

So, six months ago tonight, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Model S Plaid to be delivered to customers. I thought folks might be interested in how things are going.

This is my post from the night I picked up the car: Wiki - Model S Delivery Update

Some statistics:

• 5,191 miles
• Running 2021.36.8.9 and FSD Beta 10.6
• Quickest I've gone 0-60: 2.1 sec (1 ft rollout)
• 1/4 mile: 9.6 sec @ 150 mph (at drag strip)
• Fastest I've gone: 156 mph (at drag strip)
• Lifetime efficiency: 335 Wh/mi
• Name: "HellPony" - named through a thread here on TMC

Service issues:

• Wind noise from passenger a-pillar area
  • Triangular glass loose in its bracket
  • Replaced by mobile service
• Rattle from rear of car during turns
  • Play in latches for rear seats
  • Temporarily fixed by Service using tape--waiting on permanent fix from Engineering
• Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position
  • Service validated issue and replaced both mirrors but did not resolve the issue

Exterior:

• Car was great at pickup in terms of pant quality, fit and finish, and panel gaps and that has held up--in fact car looks great (car is OptiCoated and I hand wash)
• There was some concerns around stone chips on the rear quarter panels, but I have not encountered that so far
• Widow tint is highly recommended

Interior:

• Having lived with the new interior for a while, I more appreciate the time and effort someone took son picking materials, textures, etc
• White seats are still while--easy to clean, no creasing, puckers, etc
• The wood trim nicks easily--ended up getting some touch-up
• Still impressed by the low noise floor--the double-paned glass and all the soft surfaces help.
• Like the fixed glass roof--opens up the interior and does a good job blocking heat. I do, however miss the open air driving of the pano roof
• Coming from a 2013, there is an embarrassing amount of storage--the center console is nice in that it is has little cubbies to help keep things organized

Driving experience:

• Acceleration never gets old, but beyond 0-60, the rollin acceleration is great for merging on freeway, passing, etc
• The new suspension is superb--the car is poised in every situation I have thrown at it from curvy river roads to flat-out acceleration runs
• Vision-only AP worked well. The only thing it seemed to struggle with for me is keeping proper distance with a lead car

The Yoke!:

• I love mine, I would not trade it for a round wheel, even if Elon himself offered to come swap mine out
• It took a while to get used to it--some of you have seen the video of my travails as I got acclimated
• My best advice it to approach the yoke as a different control interface--treating it like a wheel will lead to more challenges
• For the actual yoke, I am pretty much driving like I my old wheel--one handed, palming, etc
• The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now
• The force touch controls are a work in progress--they have made tweaks to both the control and the haptic feedback that have improved the experience, but there is still opportunity to improve

Wish list:

• Big thing is I wish they were further along with the software:
  • There are still a number of features from the launch that are still outstanding like games (Witcher, etc), ANC, IIRC torque vectoring
  • The Bluetooth implementation, in relation to the rear seat audio appears unfinished
  • V11 - the current UI seems cobbled together and unfinished

Bottom line, this car has been a blast for the last 6 months and expect that to continue. I've included everything that I thought folks would find interesting--let me know if folks have other questions.

 

[CJ in LA]

View attachment 749423

So, six months ago tonight, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Model S Plaid to be delivered to customers. I thought folks might be interested in how things are going.

This is my post from the night I picked up the car: Wiki - Model S Delivery Update

Some statistics:

• 5,191 miles
• Running 2021.36.8.9 and FSD Beta 10.6
• Quickest I've gone 0-60: 2.1 sec (1 ft rollout)
• 1/4 mile: 9.6 sec @ 150 mph (at drag strip)
• Fastest I've gone: 156 mph (at drag strip)
• Lifetime efficiency: 335 Wh/mi
• Name: "HellPony" - named through a thread here on TMC

Service issues:

• Wind noise from passenger a-pillar area
  • Triangular glass loose in its bracket
  • Replaced by mobile service
• Rattle from rear of car during turns
  • Play in latches for rear seats
  • Temporarily fixed by Service using tape--waiting on permanent fix from Engineering
• Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position
  • Service validated issue and replaced both mirrors but did not resolve the issue

View attachment 749420

Exterior:

• Car was great at pickup in terms of pant quality, fit and finish, and panel gaps and that has held up--in fact car looks great (car is OptiCoated and I hand wash)
• There was some concerns around stone chips on the rear quarter panels, but I have not encountered that so far
• Widow tint is highly recommended

View attachment 749421

Interior:

• Having lived with the new interior for a while, I more appreciate the time and effort someone took son picking materials, textures, etc
• White seats are still while--easy to clean, no creasing, puckers, etc
• The wood trim nicks easily--ended up getting some touch-up
• Still impressed by the low noise floor--the double-paned glass and all the soft surfaces help.
• Like the fixed glass roof--opens up the interior and does a good job blocking heat. I do, however miss the open air driving of the pano roof
• Coming from a 2013, there is an embarrassing amount of storage--the center console is nice in that it is has little cubbies to help keep things organized

Driving experience:

• Acceleration never gets old, but beyond 0-60, the rollin acceleration is great for merging on freeway, passing, etc
• The new suspension is superb--the car is poised in every situation I have thrown at it from curvy river roads to flat-out acceleration runs
• Vision-only AP worked well. The only thing it seemed to struggle with for me is keeping proper distance with a lead car

View attachment 749422

The Yoke!:

• I love mine, I would not trade it for a round wheel, even if Elon himself offered to come swap mine out
• It took a while to get used to it--some of you have seen the video of my travails as I got acclimated
• My best advice it to approach the yoke as a different control interface--treating it like a wheel will lead to more challenges
• For the actual yoke, I am pretty much driving like I my old wheel--one handed, palming, etc
• The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now
• The force touch controls are a work in progress--they have made tweaks to both the control and the haptic feedback that have improved the experience, but there is still opportunity to improve

Wish list:

• Big thing is I wish they were further along with the software:
  • There are still a number of features from the launch that are still outstanding like games (Witcher, etc), ANC, IIRC torque vectoring
  • The Bluetooth implementation, in relation to the rear seat audio appears unfinished
  • V11 - the current UI seems cobbled together and unfinished

Bottom line, this car has been a blast for the last 6 months and expect that to continue. I've included everything that I thought folks would find interesting--let me know if folks have other questions.

I have some questions for you and/or other "S" Plaid owners. I took delivery of my new model S Plaid in December, manufacured in 9/21. Currently 841 miles. I previously had 2019 "S" with the Raven package. My experience on acceleration is that the Old Raven "seemed" to have more punch from a dead stop. Perhaps the new Plaid traction control? The car definitely has way more power at any other speed. I had found a dyno article that found the maximum power is achieved at around 70 mph. That seems to be my sensation. Once I hit about 70 mph starting from a dead stop (on a private track or course!!), I feel a noticable increase in power. It is like the skin on my face starts being pulled backwards. Never had this sensation in the Raven "S". Seems to make sense with the dyno report I read. Anyone else with this comparison? For my testing, I had a 95% state of charge, car warmed up with several miles of driiving, and the dragstrip mode on and completely ready. I did not use the launch mode because I never used it in the older Raven "S". The car is great, the accelleration is downright scarry at any speed. Currently back at TESLA service because the 12 volt battery charge somehow dropped to 38% and the safety mode kicked in. Was able to jump start the car using one of those portable battery starter packs, but had to have the car flatbed towed to the service center. Didn't want to get stuck in traffic halfway there. Service center still trying to figure out the problem. I just drive mainly around town and use the wall charger to keep 60 - 80% SOC for normal use. No much noticable difference in power on freeways between 90% and 100% so only charge to 90% if I am going out for fun. Leased this car, so long term battery life not really a concern. But still, want to keep the most power available for the lease period. Wanted to get the "S+" but they dropped the option FOR NOW! Didn't really want to pay the extra $20,000 price for the carrbon ceramic brakes and the other higher stick price anyway, but would have done it! Not going to race this car. I still have my GT3 for very fun mountain drives. Anyway the TESLA service will check out the car for all bad problem service codes and I will update later.

 

[omarsultan]

I have some questions for you and/or other "S" Plaid owners. I took delivery of my new model S Plaid in December, manufacured in 9/21. Currently 841 miles. I previously had 2019 "S" with the Raven package. My experience on acceleration is that the Old Raven "seemed" to have more punch from a dead stop. Perhaps the new Plaid traction control? The car definitely has way more power at any other speed. I had found a dyno article that found the maximum power is achieved at around 70 mph. That seems to be my sensation. Once I hit about 70 mph starting from a dead stop (on a private track or course!!), I feel a noticable increase in power. It is like the skin on my face starts being pulled backwards. Never had this sensation in the Raven "S". Seems to make sense with the dyno report I read. Anyone else with this comparison? For my testing, I had a 95% state of charge, car warmed up with several miles of driiving, and the dragstrip mode on and completely ready. I did not use the launch mode because I never used it in the older Raven "S". The car is great, the accelleration is downright scarry at any speed. Currently back at TESLA service because the 12 volt battery charge somehow dropped to 38% and the safety mode kicked in. Was able to jump start the car using one of those portable battery starter packs, but had to have the car flatbed towed to the service center. Didn't want to get stuck in traffic halfway there. Service center still trying to figure out the problem. I just drive mainly around town and use the wall charger to keep 60 - 80% SOC for normal use. No much noticable difference in power on freeways between 90% and 100% so only charge to 90% if I am going out for fun. Leased this car, so long term battery life not really a concern. But still, want to keep the most power available for the lease period. Wanted to get the "S+" but they dropped the option FOR NOW! Didn't really want to pay the extra $20,000 price for the carrbon ceramic brakes and the other higher stick price anyway, but would have done it! Not going to race this car. I still have my GT3 for very fun mountain drives. Anyway the TESLA service will check out the car for all bad problem service codes and I will update later.

It would be interesting to compare the Dragy report from a Raven and a Plaid Model S to see what the g-force trace looks like. At this point, it is hard for me to provide a comparison between Plaid launches and the few Raven launches I have done. The one thing I do remember is, after the initial kick, the Plaid just keeps going and going harder. One thing I will add is that, in my experience, acceleration is not sensitive to %SoC--over the summer, I did runs at 80%, 60% and 40% and 0-60 times stayed consistent.

 

[WilliamG]

It would be interesting to compare the Dragy report from a Raven and a Plaid Model S to see what the g-force trace looks like. At this point, it is hard for me to provide a comparison between Plaid launches and the few Raven launches I have done. The one thing I do remember is, after the initial kick, the Plaid just keeps going and going harder. One thing I will add is that, in my experience, acceleration is not sensitive to %SoC--over the summer, I did runs at 80%, 60% and 40% and 0-60 times stayed consistent.

I had my battery pack down to 12%, and the car is still very quick till around 40-50mph, but then it's an absolute dog (well, compared to what it can be). I took a video of this, too...

 

[BrianConover]

View attachment 749423

So, six months ago tonight, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Model S Plaid to be delivered to customers. I thought folks might be interested in how things are going.

This is my post from the night I picked up the car: Wiki - Model S Delivery Update

Some statistics:

• 5,191 miles
• Running 2021.36.8.9 and FSD Beta 10.6
• Quickest I've gone 0-60: 2.1 sec (1 ft rollout)
• 1/4 mile: 9.6 sec @ 150 mph (at drag strip)
• Fastest I've gone: 156 mph (at drag strip)
• Lifetime efficiency: 335 Wh/mi
• Name: "HellPony" - named through a thread here on TMC

Service issues:

• Wind noise from passenger a-pillar area
  • Triangular glass loose in its bracket
  • Replaced by mobile service
• Rattle from rear of car during turns
  • Play in latches for rear seats
  • Temporarily fixed by Service using tape--waiting on permanent fix from Engineering
• Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position
  • Service validated issue and replaced both mirrors but did not resolve the issue

View attachment 749420

Exterior:

• Car was great at pickup in terms of pant quality, fit and finish, and panel gaps and that has held up--in fact car looks great (car is OptiCoated and I hand wash)
• There was some concerns around stone chips on the rear quarter panels, but I have not encountered that so far
• Widow tint is highly recommended

View attachment 749421

Interior:

• Having lived with the new interior for a while, I more appreciate the time and effort someone took son picking materials, textures, etc
• White seats are still while--easy to clean, no creasing, puckers, etc
• The wood trim nicks easily--ended up getting some touch-up
• Still impressed by the low noise floor--the double-paned glass and all the soft surfaces help.
• Like the fixed glass roof--opens up the interior and does a good job blocking heat. I do, however miss the open air driving of the pano roof
• Coming from a 2013, there is an embarrassing amount of storage--the center console is nice in that it is has little cubbies to help keep things organized

Driving experience:

• Acceleration never gets old, but beyond 0-60, the rollin acceleration is great for merging on freeway, passing, etc
• The new suspension is superb--the car is poised in every situation I have thrown at it from curvy river roads to flat-out acceleration runs
• Vision-only AP worked well. The only thing it seemed to struggle with for me is keeping proper distance with a lead car

View attachment 749422

The Yoke!:

• I love mine, I would not trade it for a round wheel, even if Elon himself offered to come swap mine out
• It took a while to get used to it--some of you have seen the video of my travails as I got acclimated
• My best advice it to approach the yoke as a different control interface--treating it like a wheel will lead to more challenges
• For the actual yoke, I am pretty much driving like I my old wheel--one handed, palming, etc
• The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now
• The force touch controls are a work in progress--they have made tweaks to both the control and the haptic feedback that have improved the experience, but there is still opportunity to improve

Wish list:

• Big thing is I wish they were further along with the software:
  • There are still a number of features from the launch that are still outstanding like games (Witcher, etc), ANC, IIRC torque vectoring
  • The Bluetooth implementation, in relation to the rear seat audio appears unfinished
  • V11 - the current UI seems cobbled together and unfinished

Bottom line, this car has been a blast for the last 6 months and expect that to continue. I've included everything that I thought folks would find interesting--let me know if folks have other questions.

Awesome Vehicle, thanks for sharing your detailed experience.

 

[buddyg]

Nope.

Even 25 years ago driving an ice car, if you were using cruise control and hit the brake to slow for traffic, all you needed to do is hit the resume button and it brought You back up to set speed rather quickly.

I would like a resume button for the cruise control.

 

[buddyg]

I have some questions for you and/or other "S" Plaid owners. I took delivery of my new model S Plaid in December, manufacured in 9/21. Currently 841 miles. I previously had 2019 "S" with the Raven package. My experience on acceleration is that the Old Raven "seemed" to have more punch from a dead stop. Perhaps the new Plaid traction control? The car definitely has way more power at any other speed. I had found a dyno article that found the maximum power is achieved at around 70 mph. That seems to be my sensation. Once I hit about 70 mph starting from a dead stop (on a private track or course!!), I feel a noticable increase in power. It is like the skin on my face starts being pulled backwards. Never had this sensation in the Raven "S". Seems to make sense with the dyno report I read. Anyone else with this comparison? For my testing, I had a 95% state of charge, car warmed up with several miles of driiving, and the dragstrip mode on and completely ready. I did not use the launch mode because I never used it in the older Raven "S". The car is great, the accelleration is downright scarry at any speed. Currently back at TESLA service because the 12 volt battery charge somehow dropped to 38% and the safety mode kicked in. Was able to jump start the car using one of those portable battery starter packs, but had to have the car flatbed towed to the service center. Didn't want to get stuck in traffic halfway there. Service center still trying to figure out the problem. I just drive mainly around town and use the wall charger to keep 60 - 80% SOC for normal use. No much noticable difference in power on freeways between 90% and 100% so only charge to 90% if I am going out for fun. Leased this car, so long term battery life not really a concern. But still, want to keep the most power available for the lease period. Wanted to get the "S+" but they dropped the option FOR NOW! Didn't really want to pay the extra $20,000 price for the carrbon ceramic brakes and the other higher stick price anyway, but would have done it! Not going to race this car. I still have my GT3 for very fun mountain drives. Anyway the TESLA service will check out the car for all bad problem service codes and I will update later.

I think the Plaid hits hardest from a roll around 30 mph.

 

[Smith_George_]

woww

 

[SteveSchweer]

View attachment 749423

So, six months ago tonight, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Model S Plaid to be delivered to customers. I thought folks might be interested in how things are going.

This is my post from the night I picked up the car: Wiki - Model S Delivery Update

Some statistics:

• 5,191 miles
• Running 2021.36.8.9 and FSD Beta 10.6
• Quickest I've gone 0-60: 2.1 sec (1 ft rollout)
• 1/4 mile: 9.6 sec @ 150 mph (at drag strip)
• Fastest I've gone: 156 mph (at drag strip)
• Lifetime efficiency: 335 Wh/mi
• Name: "HellPony" - named through a thread here on TMC

Service issues:

• Wind noise from passenger a-pillar area
  • Triangular glass loose in its bracket
  • Replaced by mobile service
• Rattle from rear of car during turns
  • Play in latches for rear seats
  • Temporarily fixed by Service using tape--waiting on permanent fix from Engineering
• Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position
  • Service validated issue and replaced both mirrors but did not resolve the issue

View attachment 749420

Exterior:

• Car was great at pickup in terms of pant quality, fit and finish, and panel gaps and that has held up--in fact car looks great (car is OptiCoated and I hand wash)
• There was some concerns around stone chips on the rear quarter panels, but I have not encountered that so far
• Widow tint is highly recommended

View attachment 749421

Interior:

• Having lived with the new interior for a while, I more appreciate the time and effort someone took son picking materials, textures, etc
• White seats are still while--easy to clean, no creasing, puckers, etc
• The wood trim nicks easily--ended up getting some touch-up
• Still impressed by the low noise floor--the double-paned glass and all the soft surfaces help.
• Like the fixed glass roof--opens up the interior and does a good job blocking heat. I do, however miss the open air driving of the pano roof
• Coming from a 2013, there is an embarrassing amount of storage--the center console is nice in that it is has little cubbies to help keep things organized

Driving experience:

• Acceleration never gets old, but beyond 0-60, the rollin acceleration is great for merging on freeway, passing, etc
• The new suspension is superb--the car is poised in every situation I have thrown at it from curvy river roads to flat-out acceleration runs
• Vision-only AP worked well. The only thing it seemed to struggle with for me is keeping proper distance with a lead car

View attachment 749422

The Yoke!:

• I love mine, I would not trade it for a round wheel, even if Elon himself offered to come swap mine out
• It took a while to get used to it--some of you have seen the video of my travails as I got acclimated
• My best advice it to approach the yoke as a different control interface--treating it like a wheel will lead to more challenges
• For the actual yoke, I am pretty much driving like I my old wheel--one handed, palming, etc
• The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now
• The force touch controls are a work in progress--they have made tweaks to both the control and the haptic feedback that have improved the experience, but there is still opportunity to improve

Wish list:

• Big thing is I wish they were further along with the software:
  • There are still a number of features from the launch that are still outstanding like games (Witcher, etc), ANC, IIRC torque vectoring
  • The Bluetooth implementation, in relation to the rear seat audio appears unfinished
  • V11 - the current UI seems cobbled together and unfinished

Bottom line, this car has been a blast for the last 6 months and expect that to continue. I've included everything that I thought folks would find interesting--let me know if folks have other questions.

Do you feel an OBVIOUS difference in ride when you switch suspension modes? Ie. from Sport to Comfort?

 

[n2mb_racing]

Do you feel an OBVIOUS difference in ride when you switch suspension modes? Ie. from Sport to Comfort?

Going into track mode is night and day different.

 

[SteveSchweer]

Do you have a volt meter? Will you do the voltage test that I described a few posts back?

 

[SteveSchweer]

I mean, in the “show of hands” post.

 

[n2mb_racing]

Do you have a volt meter? Will you do the voltage test that I described a few posts back?

What do you need a voltage measurement of? I have one and I'm an electrical engineer....

 

[SteveSchweer]

We need to verify the voltage readings on the shock control solenoids In a WORKING adaptive suspension. Mine read 0 volts in all suspension mode settings. If I can VERIFY that this is an error, I have something to take to service for a fix. The test is described in the post titled “Show of Hands “. (One edit… you probably WILL have to remove a wheel to fully access the shock control solenoid… those tires are REALLY wide!). Anyway, have a look at the thread… a lot of Model S owners will really appreciate your help!

 

[n2mb_racing]

We need to verify the voltage readings on the shock control solenoids In a WORKING adaptive suspension. Mine read 0 volts in all suspension mode settings. If I can VERIFY that this is an error, I have something to take to service for a fix. The test is described in the post titled “Show of Hands “. (One edit… you probably WILL have to remove a wheel to fully access the shock control solenoid… those tires are REALLY wide!). Anyway, have a look at the thread… a lot of Model S owners will really appreciate your help!

I'll take a look. I was just in there doing lowering links.

Do you not feel a huge difference going into track mode? The damping change is dramatic.

 

[TimT]

I also initially missed the yacht floor (because it really opened up the front and was great for takeout bags), as well as the front seat pouch (which was brilliant design), but, aesthetics aside, the center console has so much flexible storage, I made peace with it.

Also, from a practical perspective, I don't think anything in on the yacht floor would stay put during a launch.

Excellent read. Thank you. Do you know when the seat pouch went away?

 

[SteveSchweer]

Great! I just redid my test with the wheel on… I was afraid that jack mode might screw up the reading. I used the top wire and got readings of .045 volt across all damping settings. When you do it, please be sure that the car is in drive mode, otherwise it probably won’t power the dampers. BTW I have a Long Range model… so no Track Mode.

 

[Huncowboy]

View attachment 749423

So, six months ago tonight, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Model S Plaid to be delivered to customers. I thought folks might be interested in how things are going.

This is my post from the night I picked up the car: Wiki - Model S Delivery Update

Some statistics:

• 5,191 miles
• Running 2021.36.8.9 and FSD Beta 10.6
• Quickest I've gone 0-60: 2.1 sec (1 ft rollout)
• 1/4 mile: 9.6 sec @ 150 mph (at drag strip)
• Fastest I've gone: 156 mph (at drag strip)
• Lifetime efficiency: 335 Wh/mi
• Name: "HellPony" - named through a thread here on TMC

Service issues:

• Wind noise from passenger a-pillar area
  • Triangular glass loose in its bracket
  • Replaced by mobile service
• Rattle from rear of car during turns
  • Play in latches for rear seats
  • Temporarily fixed by Service using tape--waiting on permanent fix from Engineering
• Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position
  • Service validated issue and replaced both mirrors but did not resolve the issue

View attachment 749420

Exterior:

• Car was great at pickup in terms of pant quality, fit and finish, and panel gaps and that has held up--in fact car looks great (car is OptiCoated and I hand wash)
• There was some concerns around stone chips on the rear quarter panels, but I have not encountered that so far
• Widow tint is highly recommended

View attachment 749421

Interior:

• Having lived with the new interior for a while, I more appreciate the time and effort someone took son picking materials, textures, etc
• White seats are still while--easy to clean, no creasing, puckers, etc
• The wood trim nicks easily--ended up getting some touch-up
• Still impressed by the low noise floor--the double-paned glass and all the soft surfaces help.
• Like the fixed glass roof--opens up the interior and does a good job blocking heat. I do, however miss the open air driving of the pano roof
• Coming from a 2013, there is an embarrassing amount of storage--the center console is nice in that it is has little cubbies to help keep things organized

Driving experience:

• Acceleration never gets old, but beyond 0-60, the rollin acceleration is great for merging on freeway, passing, etc
• The new suspension is superb--the car is poised in every situation I have thrown at it from curvy river roads to flat-out acceleration runs
• Vision-only AP worked well. The only thing it seemed to struggle with for me is keeping proper distance with a lead car

View attachment 749422

The Yoke!:

• I love mine, I would not trade it for a round wheel, even if Elon himself offered to come swap mine out
• It took a while to get used to it--some of you have seen the video of my travails as I got acclimated
• My best advice it to approach the yoke as a different control interface--treating it like a wheel will lead to more challenges
• For the actual yoke, I am pretty much driving like I my old wheel--one handed, palming, etc
• The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now
• The force touch controls are a work in progress--they have made tweaks to both the control and the haptic feedback that have improved the experience, but there is still opportunity to improve

Wish list:

• Big thing is I wish they were further along with the software:
  • There are still a number of features from the launch that are still outstanding like games (Witcher, etc), ANC, IIRC torque vectoring
  • The Bluetooth implementation, in relation to the rear seat audio appears unfinished
  • V11 - the current UI seems cobbled together and unfinished

Bottom line, this car has been a blast for the last 6 months and expect that to continue. I've included everything that I thought folks would find interesting--let me know if folks have other questions.

Nice review! I need to know which Yeti is that on the picture. I bought one and that was a bit too wide so I had to send it back. The one on the image looks like it fits perfectly into the cup holder.

 

[SteveSchweer]

I'll take a look. I was just in there doing lowering links.

Do you not feel a huge difference going into track mode? The damping change is dramatic.

When do you think you will be able to do the voltage measurements? We’re on the edge of our seats wanting to know what a working system reads!

 

[n2mb_racing]

Looked over the post now. I'm not sure that we'll be able to measure a DC voltage change on the solenoids. It's possible for them to show 0V in all the modes, yet still be working. The solenoids might be modulated only when the car is moving.

There should be some other way to test the dampers. Maybe get a logging accelerometer app on your phone and put it in the passenger seat. Drive the same stretch of road and compare the accelerations with the suspension on softest and hardest settings. There should be a measurable difference.

I'll check, but I'm not sure if I notice much difference between comfort and sport. There's a huge difference between regular modes and track mode. It gets so firm that you feel every bump in the road. The comfort mode isn't a super soft ride, though. It's still pretty sporty. It's smoother than my Model 3, but not like old school Cadillac floaty-smooth.

I'm not sure how much adjustability is possible, given the desire to have a rock-solid track mode in the same suspension. If they drop the dampers to zero, then it's going to be really bouncy and underdamped, because you'd just have the air springs. That wouldn't be very comfortable either...

 

[SteveSchweer]

I suspect it doesn’t have to be actually moving… just in Drive. Would you measure the voltage anyway? .. just for another data point. I would really appreciate it. PS my suspension CAN’T get any firmer.