Model S Weekend at Santana Row Video & Photo Links

[engle]

I will post all of my video and photo links that pertain to the four Model S Signature Beta Vehicles in all four colors here. Others can reply and post their links, so they will all be in one thread.

Google+ Photo Album of Model S "four signatures" and Model X Design Prototype (247 images)

- Demo video of Model S Glass Panoramic Roof Open / Close including Touchpanel Operation:

http://youtu.be/bSxfaijLTI4?hd=1

- First part of my interview with George Blankenship: (the video cut out for some reason, and the wind interfered with audio quality) He started out by giving a lot of props to Tesla Motors Club members for helping to spread the word!

http://youtu.be/YBD3elgMA_0?hd=1

- Part two of my chat with George Blankenship. I switched to my wife's iPhone 4 after the Sony Bloggie battery died. My camera work is awful, but at least you can hear what George says better on the iPhone:

http://youtu.be/LN52Lfkxc7M?hd=1

Not much here... In the beginning, he's talking to another Tesla employee about which future Model S' to put where in the garage: "white, then the performance, then black interior with red piping". The only questions here are @ 2:05 about increasing max. speed on range estimator to 75 mph; @ 3:10 about high contrast tan - black interior; "I'm about making people smile. The designers and the engineers make the car handle well enough that when I get in it it makes me smile." @ 4:00 about the chrome stripe under the doors. @ 4:40 G.B. mentions the console again. After 6 mins. Franz H. called him on his cell and he had to go to take the call.

- My interview with Ted Merendino, the Product Manager for both Model S and Model X: [16:11 running time]

http://youtu.be/UngxwjWtqNE?hd=1

- Here's brief video of the Signature Red, #44:

http://youtu.be/1Ot_03DwGRA?hd=1

- The Pearl White, #43:

http://youtu.be/HXPSmkDlXhU?hd=1

- Metallic Silver:

http://youtu.be/Tz2lhdCfRrs?hd=1

- Solid Black:

http://youtu.be/OL_PnsQmsmQ?hd=1

- Sig Red Beta Door Handle in operation, Final steering wheel, New touchscreen software in operation (much faster):

http://youtu.be/9PSygTIPqho?hd=1

Courtesy of ddenboer:

Pics from today (and early morning yesterday) are here:

Tesla Day March 2012

Photo quality is not the best -- I planned to bring my DSLR, but brought two kids instead.

More to come as they are uploaded...

Key photos of the interiors of the new Sig Red and Pearl White Betas:

Final Steering Wheel:

Center open floor storage area:

with carpeting removed:

Not much headroom in backseat for my 5' 11" son under the panoramic roof:

 

[brianman]

Many thanks for sharing, Engle.

What was producing the Geiger counter sound in the Metallic Silver video?

 

[onlinespending]

yes, thanks for taking the time to take and share these great photos and videos!

 

[Charged_Up]

So Ted says there is no console at all and you should get used to having all of your "stuff" on the floor, while George seems to say that some form of storage will be available. I wish they would make up their minds - the lack of sensible storage space - not even a reasonable door pocket - is a major design flaw of the interior. Second, for the first time we are hearing that for any interior color other than black, the interior will not be color matched, but will have many black parts. Although even Mercedes gets it wrong with certain items, their cup holder for example in the E class, there is a big difference between the usability of what I see in Tesla and the Mercedes. I really don't understand why Tesla should not be able to offer a sensible option for some sort of factory installed storage unit - maybe with a more sensibly placed cupholder and closed storage for pens. change, sunglasses, phones, and all the other little stuff that ends up in my car (and maybe a zero cost option for signature). I for one, am starting to get a little fatigued at the idea of paying six figures for a vehicle with compromises - I could get a new E Mercedes (what I drive now) for half the price of the Signature - so service and gas over time don't mean much of a financial difference. I still love the idea of the car, but at that price - boy it does make you think twice given the early limitations.

 

[onlinespending]

I for one, am starting to get a little fatigued at the idea of paying six figures for a vehicle with compromises - I could get a new E Mercedes (what I drive now) for half the price of the Signature - so service and gas over time don't mean much of a financial difference. I still love the idea of the car, but at that price - boy it does make you think twice given the early limitations.

And you know what's going to happen? Assuming Tesla stays in business and puts out a Models S 1.5 or some upgrade down the road, they may very well incorporate changes that a lot of us have been clamoring for (such as interior storage/pockets/console, more uniform light interior, etc.). And it'll sting a bit that you either didn't wait or are stuck with an earlier version without those features. I'm at least hopeful that they can come up with some creative accessory for the center console (whether in time for production or at a later date). It just seems very uninspiring to lay two tracks in the center and call it a day. They innovated on so many other fronts, and here had an opportunity to do the same with the center console, but sort of dropped the ball.

 

[Discoducky]

So awesome!

 

[Mycroft]

As I mentioned, there are very nice workarounds. Do I want door pockets? Heck yeah! I like to keep hand lotion, hair brush, mileage log, tissues, etc. in there. But I had to use the lined basket in the old Ford Escort and that worked fairly well.

You can't always get what you want. My $65,000 Mercedes SLK's cup holders are virtually unusable. I had to buy a plastic cupholder tray from Walmart to slip next to the passenger seat.

 

[onlinespending]

You can't always get what you want. My $65,000 Mercedes SLK's cup holders are virtually unusable. I had to buy a plastic cupholder tray from Walmart to slip next to the passenger seat.

Yeah, that's pretty much every European car Cupholders are usually not even included in the European models, so they're added as an after-thought for the American market. The two-tone interior is the one thing that bugs me the most, since there's little I can do to change that. I simply have to accept it, and it's tough to accept it when there's no workable solution and when you're spending so much for the car. The lack of side pockets and a center console are less bothersome since there are workarounds for those shortcomings. I think I just really need to spend some quality time in the Model S and see the various interior options to see what best suits my tastes.

 

[AnOutsider]

Thanks for these, just spent like an hour going through pics and vids. Heh, I think George mistook Bonnie for GG

 

[bonnie]

I wasn't there! I'll be there tomorrow morning.

 

[bonnie]

Hah! I just watched the video. Yep, George thought GG was the one who needed the top off.

George -waves-. Thanks to all of you regarding the top-off solution. I can drive my Roadster tomorrow and get back to the Sac area by late afternoon.

 

[onlinespending]

He also refers to him as a her, that sort of clinched it

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

He also refers to him as a her, that sort of clinched it

Yikes!

Going there in a coupla hours. Hope to get enough time sitting in there and getting comfy with the interior.

 

[J in MN]

I am VERY, VERY suspicious about Tesla's winter testing in Minnesota (the silver one referred to in the George interview video at 1:03). We absolutely did NOT have a winter this year - no cold, no snow.

 

[bonnie]

Well they cannot make it snow or drop the temp. (They're just not that good , regardless of the other things they've managed.)

But the good news is that there are a number of Roadsters based in cold regions, many owned by fellow forum members. At the least, that's provided some real world input.

 

[smorgasbord]

Mods, should we merge this into the existing main "It's Model S Weekend at Tesla Santana Row 3/17 & 18 and new Model S Design Studio" thread?

 

[vfx]

So Ted says there is no console at all and you should get used to having all of your "stuff" on the floor, while George seems to say that some form of storage will be available.....

They have spoken about offering the center inserts we have talked about. So it's not included but available.

As a new car company with relatively small sales numbers, the options on interiors is going to be limited.

The Roadster really bumped up the qualty from the Lotus' spartan interior but still fell way short of the good enough to be in a $100 car mark. When people ask what I don't like about my Tesla it, is the piddly stuff like the radio and lack of storage, can't read the VDS screen, But the thing is, having a totally unique awesome car trumps all that "stuff".

 

[Bound466]

Awesome video and pics Engle.. THANK YOU - wish I was there. Did anyone get any video of the door handles in operation? Also, any vids of the automatic lift gate in action (if it was operational on these 4 cars)?

 

[mikevbf]

I wasn't there! I'll be there tomorrow morning.

Bonnie, would you do me a favor? Would you please bring a tape measure and measure the ground clearance of the model x? Thanks.

 

[bonnie]

Will do.