Model X Mule Sightings

[AnxietyRanger]

I find it absolutely hilarious that people are arguing over the falcon wing door alignment as if that is a real issue. Of course the final product will be aligned properly.

Absolutely hilarious. Like those people are so incompetent that they are not able to make those doors align.

You guys do realize a significant portion of the Model S fleet has terrible rear-door alignment.

But before I go joking that the misaligned Model X door is thus actually proof of production status, I agree many panels, bumpers, windows, parts on Model X mules have been misaligned due to testing wires. It is a possibility here too.

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This is how you camouflage an SUV that you don't want to show until it is officially unveiled

Spied: Mystery Crossover Prototype Caught in Miami


View attachment 91445

That is certainly how traditional companies do it. Tesla didn't on Model S. They are hardly traditional, although some camo has been used (patterned camo even once) on the mules.

We are now waiting for the next precedent: Is Elon to be taken literally or not? We shall see.

 

[ZachShahan]

You are of course right that what I said applies to the TMC forums only. A blog function, of course, could work.

In any case, unlike cgiGuy postulated about my early work being appreciated, I have felt a distinct pushback on TMC forums from the start when it has come to mule analysis and rumor research. It has never been universally liked, for whatever reason. I'm not convinced it is merely a posting style question, but also cultural.

It is - well, common sense - to accept that. Now, perhaps a blog would cut some of those issues away, but probably not all of them.

Anyway, enough about me on this thread. Bring on the mules.

I'm certain a lot of people have valued your detailed thoughts on the Model X, and I'm sure many would with future models. But I agree that such threads don't seem to be the ideal places for them... perhaps with other communities, but not this one. I have valued it here many times, but have at other times thought it was too speculative and verbose. I imagine plenty of other people get turned off or even irritated much more quickly.

I do think a blog would be an excellent place to express such things. If you are not inclined to start your own, happy to help you "find" a venue or two. Since the X is almost here, you are probably not interested now but perhaps for future models. Either way, feel free to PM me any time.

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Too many nights....

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Regarding the often discussed mis-alignment of the rear doors and trim, my powers of deduction guide me to think:
-Rear seats are the biggest secret about this car.
-We've already seen the exterior in some form or another (I wish not to enter the debate over mule vs final-ish version).
-EM keeps referencing the beauty (aesthetics and utility?) of the rear seats.

Hence, it's Tesla going through extra precautions to shield the rear seats from all of our wonderful Model X paparazzi. It may not be coincidental that we haven't seen any back seat interior images...

+1000

 

[AnxietyRanger]

perhaps with other communities, but not this one. I have valued it here many times, but have at other times thought it was too speculative and verbose.

Agreed. In my experience single-brand forums are often quicker to reject verbose analytics than more general forums, so part of it can relate to the culture of single-brand communities which attract often different kind of enthusiasts than multi-brand forums. TMC and Tesla is certainly not the only place in the world susceptible to this.

Your kind words and offers are of course appreciated. Model X is now merely a waiting game, but we shall see about the future.

 

[ZachShahan]

Maybe I am totally misguided, but I was under the impression that the "misaligned" doors and latches were due to some type of fake/camo falcon wing door assembly that is covering the interior and back of the mules. The finish didn't seem to match the rest of the cars until the last few weeks. I was not worried about the doors not lining up cuz they were camoflage.

Yeah, I think you are simply sane. You possibly don't spend enough time on forums to cure that.

 

[engle]

Model X Test Track Photos 2015-08-21 (poor quality through chain link fencing)

They were driving two Model X's around the test track at the factory yesterday at 5:30 PM. I also observed and photographed a white Model S with red camo tape covering the entire lower rear end on the track:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0ByoUIRtadJzYSm9sajY4Y1JNT1E&usp=sharing

The quality of these DSLR photos is terrible because I WAS NOT on Tesla property and therefore had to take them through two chain link fences. My wife and son were in the car, along with frozen food from Costco, so I didn't get a chance to find a better vantage point NOT on Tesla property. If I get another opportunity, I will do so. This is mostly just to report what I saw. Unfortunately, they didn't drive the X's on the loop of track closest to me while I was there, or I would have captured better images.

 

[smartypnz]

As an engineer, I can't wait to see the cupholders mounted on the Falcon doors.

 

[bonnie]

As an engineer, I can't wait to see the cupholders mounted on the Falcon doors.

Entertainment! (... and people were worried about snow.)

 

[Lyon]

Entertainment! (... and people were worried about snow.)

Metal water bottle to the head.

 

[AlMc]

Metal water bottle to the head.

I could use one of those about now:wink:. Time to 'flush' the non flush door discussion.

Edit: sorry: short rant over

 

[flar]

Thoughts on the rear doors (and combining several previous points):

- We know they are shielding the rear seats
- All mules have had extremely dark rear windows
- Some mules have had test wires coming out of them which are one obvious reason of why the rear doors would be misaligned, but they aren't present on all of the cars we've seen
- Early mules even had rear window panels that looked the wrong sizes and didn't seat well and sort of looked like a slab of plastic shoved in the door frame

If you were going to shield all of the mules/Release Candidates, you could:

- Construct them all with super dark glass, but then you wouldn't be testing construction with the actual materials
- Construct them normally and do a dark tint on them, but that is labor intensive to do to every mule and the tints have looked a bit too dark to be a legal CA tint
- Build them normally and then cover them with something

What if they had a shell that was approximately like the rear fenestration of the X that they installed on the mules as they left the factory/HQ? They could pop the doors as it was leaving the facilities and snap the shield on, then close the doors on the shield. The shield would be designed to look like the rear of the X, except with nearly opaque plastic covering all window areas. The doors, thus, have never been properly closed even when we can't see any testing equipment because the clip-on shell is enough to distort the fit of the doors itself.

 

[NigelM]

As an engineer, I can't wait to see the cupholders mounted on the Falcon doors.

Wasn't there an old rumor that the cupholders would have a gimbal mount?

 

[bonnie]

Wasn't there an old rumor that the cupholders would have a gimbal mount?

Didn't you start that rumor?

 

[NigelM]

Didn't you start that rumor?

No, I think it was a leaker.

 

[bonnie]

No, I think it was a leaker.

You're right. It was clearly a leaker.

(Confession is good for the soul, my friend.)

 

[NigelM]

You're right. It was clearly a leaker.

(Confession is good for the soul, my friend.)

Leaker as in something that leaks, drips etc. happens when you invert a drinks container for example.....

 

[Discoducky]

Leaker as in something that leaks, drips etc. happens when you invert a drinks container for example.....

Or exactly the thing a gimbal is incapable of letting happen

 

[NigelM]

Or exactly the thing a gimbal is incapable of letting happen

You obviously appreciate the British sense of humour Wes. :-D

 

[bonnie]

You obviously appreciate the British sense of humour Wes. :-D

Should have seen that coming.

 

[Discoducky]

You obviously appreciate the British sense of humour Wes. :-D

IT Crowd, Dr. Who, Sherlock, The Mighty Boosh and Ricky's The Office to name a few

 

[vandacca]

Thoughts on the rear doors (and combining several previous points):
...
What if they had a shell that was approximately like the rear fenestration of the X that they installed on the mules as they left the factory/HQ? They could pop the doors as it was leaving the facilities and snap the shield on, then close the doors on the shield. The shield would be designed to look like the rear of the X, except with nearly opaque plastic covering all window areas. The doors, thus, have never been properly closed even when we can't see any testing equipment because the clip-on shell is enough to distort the fit of the doors itself.

Very interesting premise. Sounds somewhat plausible and it would explain the doors not being fully shut.