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I've yet to see any real-world evidence that this is the case. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the opposite is true.

As others have pointed out there is plenty of real world evidence that this is the case. For just one example check out the EPA economy page and see what results they have for single vs. dual motor vehicles:

Gas Mileage of 2016 Tesla Model S

It would be helpful if you'd share the anecdotal data that you have.

The main reason why AWD cars traditionally get worse gas mileage is that there is a loss of efficiency in the mechanical linkage between the single engine and the two sets of wheels. In the Tesla drivetrain there is only an electronic linkage present. There is also the ability to optimize power transfer based on factors other than just traction.
 
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Tesla continuously improves their cars, in major and minor ways, on an unpredictable schedule. If you get into the mindset of "I'm going to wait a bit because some cool new stuff is coming along" you may never buy one. The next 12 months are not going to result in any more significant changes than the past 12 months, which have seen some major changes. And the previous 12 months saw major changes. And so on...

Decide if the current Teslas meet your needs. If one does, buy it if you can afford it. If it doesn't meet your needs, don't buy it.

As to the current S/X interiors "can't compete" with the Model 3 interior, as much as I like the clean and simple 3 interior I don't think that analysis is correct. The S/X have a larger center display and a drivers display that the 3 will never have.
 
I would be astounded if we didn't. I anticipate a body style change in the next 12 months based on Elon's past statements.

...and you can expect further significant changes every 12 Months for years to come.

Owners that purchased the original Model S have seen tons of significant improvements over the years, but they continue to drive, enjoy and cherish the car they own. All the new bells and whistles are just that. Enhancements on an already terrific car.

New bumpers, additional motors, different seats, changes in moon roof, different tires, headlights, charging, computers. They all enhance the vehicles, but the base car is still terrific.
 
Tesla has had a long term contract to buy 18650 cells from Panasonic Japan that won't be fulfilled until 2019 or so given current production volumes. Tesla can renegotiate the contract, but all 2170 production needs to be dedicated towards Model 3 and stationary storage for now. Once the GigaFactory is capable of producing more batteries than necessary for those needs will they switch for the Model S and X. That will be a while.

The exterior of the Model S is a classic design that is not out of date compared of other large sedans out there. At some point they may redesign the roofline to give a little better headroom, especially in the back, but that won't be right away. All the engineering resources for that are dedicated to higher priority projects right now. With any exterior redesign, they need to be careful to maintain the aerodynamic profile. The Model S is one of the most aerodynamic cars on the road and it should stay that way.

I believe the battery pack options will change before the Model 3 introduction, but not in the way the OP thinks. The large pack will remain the 100 KWH pack for at least a year, probably closer to 2, but the smaller pack is going to become the new 85 or 90. It will actually be around 88 KWH if my calculations are correct. That's what you get with 14X of the same module used in the 100 KWH pack. Tesla wants to only use one module for the Model S and X line which is what they had with the 75 and 90, the only difference was one was 14 modules and the other 16. Making a new 85 or 90 with a small pack would not only be good advertising, but it would also be economizing at the factory.

The interior will probably get a bit of a refresh in the next year or two, but it will probably be after the Model 3 goes on sale. There will be some people who will decide to buy a Model S instead of a Model 3 after the production version is revealed because the Model 3 won't be what they thought it would be, and there will be people so far back in the Model 3 queue they will opt for a Model S instead. (Among those who can afford the bump in price.)

Tesla might also do a price reduction on the Model S that will entice people on the fence. The car has a massive profit margin now. It's needed to fuel all their future projects, but they could cut the price and still make a tidy profit.

I don't expect any major interior changes and the possible roof-line change until the Model 3 is out there and is getting produced in large numbers. Most of their manufacturing engineers are needed to get the Model 3 lines going and they don't have the resources to spare for retooling the Model S line right now. There will likely be some tweaks this year though. The battery change from 75->85 is most likely IMO. Other changes might include the addition of a HUD so it can be tested out in the field before getting incorporated into the Model 3 as an option.

There may be some electronics improvements here and there, but again, nothing dramatic. I strongly doubt there will be any major changes to the AP hardware until the software with the existing hardware is working as well as AP1 or better.

Elon just recently said all new S/X's will have new 2170 batteries by end of this year.
 
The D version allows regen on both axles and balances the load. I see no advantage to a quad motor car except possibly some advantage in traction when maneuvering or in bad road conditions. I would expect energy economy to drop with quad drive. It would add a fair bit of weight and complexity to the drivetrain and add nothing that helps energy economy going from one to two axle drive...

Well, that's not very creative. You have to imagine gigafactories pumping out super compact super lightweight electric motors. Some sort of disc or band that would be right next to the tire, some sort of pod/bucket, no axle or gears and you've got the ability to turn the tire and rotate the tire and break the tire. I believe this is yet another important and overlooked advantage of the electric car.
 
I would expect a major refresh to both Model S and X in 2018. Those cars just can't compete with the newer, more modern interior of the Model 3. Also, Tesla will want to unify the screen orientations for UI purposes on all vehicles, so that alone will necessitate an interior redesign.

In general I think the interior of the Model 3 is going to be rather basic vs the S and X.
 
Interesting news ... a performance refresh: :cool: Tesla introduces new performance enhancements to Model S and Model X

Tesla has updated its vehicle lineup last night to introduce new performance enhancements to Model S and Model X – making the non-performance versions of both vehicles significantly quicker from a standstill. Here we take a quick look at the updated features: The improvements are more significant for the base versions of the Model S. The Model S 75 and its dual motor version are both gaining a full second of acceleration from 0 to 60 mph:
  • Model 75: 4.3 seconds down from 5.5 seconds
  • Model S 75D: 4.2 seconds down from 5.2 seconds
As for the more recent Model S 100D, it’s also seeing a slight improvement in acceleration:
  • Model S 100D: 4.1 seconds down from 4.2 seconds
The bigger Model X, which is only available with dual motor, is also seeing some new performance enhancements:
  • Model X 75D: 4.9 seconds down from 6.0 seconds
  • Model X 100D: 4.7 seconds down from 5.5 seconds.
Interestingly, those upgrades are also coming just ahead of the launch of the Model 3 and since they are most important on the base versions of the vehicles, it looks like Tesla might be looking to further differentiate its higher-end models, Model S and Model X, with its newest less expensive Model 3.
 
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Is this a enhancement of the Existing M75, (will my car see an over-the air upgrade) or is this only for new models rolling down the production line?

Never mind- I found Electrek said :Since the enhancements include hardware upgrades, those new specs are for new vehicles being built today and not the current fleet.
 
Sad huh. They constantly roll out some form of refresh every less than 12 months. Screwy for people who recently bought it since they are usually some hardware upgrade.

Like 70D non upgradable to 70D software upgradable to 75kwh.

These speed enhancements

Etc.
 
It may be preparing to up the battery size from 75->85 or 90. With the extra cells in each module they are able to deliver more current even though the pack voltage is only 350V. This might indicate the new 75s are software limited 85s or 90s.
 
Was very impressed by the interior of the new Model 3. Lets hope some of these changes show up in the Model S quickly.

Yes, it's impressive and if Elon can be believed (and we know he's never been overly optimistic -- sarcasm) we're going to get a P version with Ludicrous mode option. That will be some vehicle. My reservation page says late 2018 (that's the earliest for Canada) but I don't really mind since the P/D/L version should hopefully be out by then -- or am I being overly optimistic?.

Lets hope some of these changes show up in the Model S quickly.

Yes, they better if they want to claim the S/X gets the better things first, or words to that effect. I just about upgraded to get AP2.0 when it came out, but I'm sure glad I waited looking at the Model 3 now in that video -- not to mention the AP2.0 complaints. Plus, I still love my classic S and plan to keep. I really think the Model 3 will hurt S sales -- it has with me.