It seems redundant to write something else, because the subject and the photos sum up my situation succinctly. On Monday 20 January an intense hail storm hit the centre of Canberra, leaving a trail of destruction, including my car. Ironically, I parked it in a remote part of an outdoor car park because I believed that would minimise the prospect of someone parking next to me and dinging my bodywork (an approach I'm unlikely to continue...). There were no warnings about this storm - its intensity caught everyone by surprise. Hundreds of cars were severely damaged. My S75 is officially a write-off. Every panel and door, plus the windscreen and rear glass, were severely damaged.
So I'm now in the market for a replacement vehicle: I really did love my S75 so I'm keen on getting another Model S. Since I bought the 75, Tesla has consolidated all those sub 100kw choices into a simple 100kw long range or 100kw performance. I rarely buy new cars, though four of the five motorcycles I've owned were bought new - so I must be agnostic on the issue. The current base Model S has all the bells and whistles and I'm very attracted to its long range. I think the cabin might be a slight step down from the 'premium/carbon' option I had but I think the better sound system will more than compensate - to me, the ability to drive while enjoying music with dynamic range and subtlety is a joy. The long range costs much more than my S75 but also seems to offer significantly more too.
I have recent emails from Mercedes touting their new EQC (Wheels magazine car of the year, according to them - though I know they push a lot of advertising through Wheels, so I have some doubts on impartiality). And the Jaguar E-Pace has some positive reviews, but I'm pretty sure their cabin is too cramped for my stocky frame. But neither of those models has the range of the new Model S - nor some of its features (I wasn't thinking of fart mode). I do feel invested in Tesla's vision and I did like my S75 so much that I'd really like to stick with Tesla.
For what it's worth, I do consider that hail event to be climate change-related. The hail stones were sized in-between golf balls and cricket, sorry baseballs - much bigger than I've ever seen before. And it came in a month of toxic smoke blown in from bushfires on our coast, heatwaves that broke temperature records, and a threatening bushfire on the city's southern flank. Some people have a remarkable ability to pretend obvious signs of climate change are really no different to weather events of the past, but I hope their ranks are thinning the stronger the evidence mounts.
So I'm now in the market for a replacement vehicle: I really did love my S75 so I'm keen on getting another Model S. Since I bought the 75, Tesla has consolidated all those sub 100kw choices into a simple 100kw long range or 100kw performance. I rarely buy new cars, though four of the five motorcycles I've owned were bought new - so I must be agnostic on the issue. The current base Model S has all the bells and whistles and I'm very attracted to its long range. I think the cabin might be a slight step down from the 'premium/carbon' option I had but I think the better sound system will more than compensate - to me, the ability to drive while enjoying music with dynamic range and subtlety is a joy. The long range costs much more than my S75 but also seems to offer significantly more too.
I have recent emails from Mercedes touting their new EQC (Wheels magazine car of the year, according to them - though I know they push a lot of advertising through Wheels, so I have some doubts on impartiality). And the Jaguar E-Pace has some positive reviews, but I'm pretty sure their cabin is too cramped for my stocky frame. But neither of those models has the range of the new Model S - nor some of its features (I wasn't thinking of fart mode). I do feel invested in Tesla's vision and I did like my S75 so much that I'd really like to stick with Tesla.
For what it's worth, I do consider that hail event to be climate change-related. The hail stones were sized in-between golf balls and cricket, sorry baseballs - much bigger than I've ever seen before. And it came in a month of toxic smoke blown in from bushfires on our coast, heatwaves that broke temperature records, and a threatening bushfire on the city's southern flank. Some people have a remarkable ability to pretend obvious signs of climate change are really no different to weather events of the past, but I hope their ranks are thinning the stronger the evidence mounts.
