New Model S "Plaid" Version Release in 2020

[mrbulk]

For exactly the reasons given above regarding Tesla's habit of introducing (or actually NOT introducing beforehand) specific upcoming features and instead just incepting them into the production line on the fly, Tesla is more Osborne Effect-proof.

 

[FreqFlyer]

I’m approaching 3 years in my car. I don’t typically keep cars past year 3. The Taycan is tempting, but the dual gear setup and poor range are deal killers for me. If TSLA releases Plaid this year, but in the same 9 year old chassis and with the same interior, I am going to wait. I don’t need faster than 2.3 secs and my current range is sufficient. In order from them to get $200k out of me I’m going to need a genuinely new car with significantly better fit and finish.

I love my car but it is a 9 year old design and it’s time they devoted some effort to making it current. The Model S should be the flagship, like the 7 Series and S class.

Many here will state you should be awe of the fact you can watch Youtube in your car. And its a new world where people do not care about design changes every five years as long you can play video games on the screen.

 

[tps5352]

...Tesla is more Osborne Effect-proof.

Not sure I can completely agree. What about people who are hesitant to purchase a new Tesla in 2020 because of the rumors of "plaid" versions coming? (Isn't that the very topic of this Thread?)

Maybe Tesla is somewhat more resistant to the O-Effect than selected other manufacturers, but I would guess that it is still subject to it.

Yes, by not publicly scheduling minor and major upgrades Tesla may be avoiding some forms of OE. But (unofficial and unconfirmed) rumors must still affect sales, correct?

By the way, ironically the so-called "Osborne Effect"--the (potentially fatal) negative impact to existing product sales due to poorly-timed reveals of upcoming new models--was according to Wikipedia apparently proven to be somewhat of a fallacy in the case of Osborne, where it was likely straight-up competition with an arguably better computer (Kaypro) that probably doomed Osborne.

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[mrbulk]

Not sure I can completely agree. What about people who are hesitant to purchase a new Tesla in 2020 because of the rumors of "plaid" versions coming? (Isn't that the very topic of this Thread?)

Maybe Tesla is somewhat more resistant to the O-Effect than selected other manufacturers, but I would guess that it is still subject to it.

Yes, by not publicly scheduling minor and major upgrades Tesla may be avoiding some forms of OE. But (unofficial and unconfirmed) rumors must still affect sales, correct?

By the way, ironically the so-called "Osborne Effect"--the (potentially fatal) negative impact to existing product sales due to poorly-timed reveals of upcoming new models--was according to Wikipedia apparently proven to be somewhat of a fallacy in the case of Osborne, where it was likely straight-up competition with an arguably better computer (Kaypro) that probably doomed Osborne.

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I could see your point if the Plaids were going to be the same price as the Performance S now, but I do not think they will be. They’ll likely be close to but just under those of the Taycan.

 

[DukeofURL]

I love my car but it is a 9 year old design and it’s time they devoted some effort to making it current. The Model S should be the flagship, like the 7 Series and S class.

I too am eagerly awaiting the Plaid announcement and will buy one if the price is amenable, but I actually still like the exterior. I can see if you've had the same car for a while it will get old, and no one wants to spend new money on the same looks, but the design was just refreshed 3 years ago (in 2017), so it's not quite as long in the tooth as 9 years. That of course doesn't mean the rear end couldn't use some updates, as unlike the front, it has been largely untouched.

What DOES make me pause and wonder if I indeed should jump for this car is AP4. We know Tesla is working on it, and we know it won't be ready in time for release this fall with the Plaid S. It's true we haven't even seen much (aside from traffic cone and stop sign/light visualization) from AP3, but I wonder if the AP4 release will be more like AP3, and strictly computing power based, or more like AP2, and include a bevvy of sensor upgrades (corner radar? better cameras? I'm not saying the L word...). I would feel pretty dumb if I had just dropped $150k on a car only to have one of its biggest known features be previous generation, limiting my functionality significantly vs the new crop.

As said, you can't wait forever, and Tesla rarely gives clues about upcoming changes, but it would be nice to know if they were targeting a shorter 6-12mo timeframe or a more distant 2-3yr timeframe.