I took some shots of the future Menlo Park store under renovations while stopped at the light back in May. When I first took this photo, I thought that white wagon looked a bit out of place, but figured it belonged to a Tesla employee. The car also appeared to me to be using a temporary spare tire (donut). Today it was suggested this car might be a Whitestar mule, due to it's non stock rear rims. So I decided to take a closer look at the photos and found more "evidence": 1. Rear wheels are indeed non-stock rims (not donuts) 2. no visible tailpipe, only the rear bumper notch 3. possible power cord hanging underneath?? This car, btw, is a Dodge Magnum. For comparison, notice the tailpipe in this picture: Anyhow.... just some fun speculation. :wink:
Hmmm, quite interesting find No tailpipe is a strong hint, those black rims suggest nonstandard rear axis and missing licence plates could mean this is a pure testing unit. I wouln't call it a whitestar mule though, more like technology RD vehicle.
I'm not sure what the law is, but I have to say the missing plate is pretty common in California, particularly on new cars. Well I assume they're doing R&D on the drivetrain that could go into Whitestar. That counts as a test mule in my book.
lol Magnum P.I., that's great. At first I thought, What? A Dodge Magnum? That's crazy talk. But then I looked at the cord and thought, You know, he just might be onto something. Crap. Now I have the Magnum theme song stuck in my head.
That's funny. I went to a conference in Hawaii a couple years ago and the whole time I was there, I was singing that theme song to myself (and others). I even contemplated growing back the mustache I wore all through high school. .
Do you have a link!?!? Edit:Is Tesla using Dodge Magnum body shells for White Star mules? - AutoblogGreen
Good car to use as a 'donor'. (Apparently the ICE drive-train in those vehicles was in need of replacement)
Thanks! I can't take all the credit, but it's nice to get some confirmation. Now if only I could score an invite to the Menlo Park store opening... :smile:
I was thinking the same thing. I bet Tesla found one with a dead engine for a very low price; perfect for testing I doubt the final WhiteStar / Model S will look anything like the Magnum, but it's nice to see they can get their technology working in such a large, heavy vehicle. -Ryan
I suppose it's possible. I've come to the conclusion that the Roadsters viewable from the street in the back of the soon to be MP Tesla store is probably intentional PR/marketing. But so what. It's not like it's dishonest. It's not like they're paying us to notice and talk about it. But I also think it's possible they've been doing some actual work on the mule at the Menlo Park location and thus it had a more legit purpose for being there. I've noticed that some activity has been going on in that rear garage building for a while now. Fast Lane Daily Tesla Model S mule spotted in California Tesla Whitestar Mule Spotted? - Top Speed Sure, but one can dream. :redface:
Couldn't really find the debate you're talking about, but there is some discussion about styling here: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/tesla-motors/271-white-star-styling.html
It's amusing how almost no one actually reads the article before commenting. The best example of "shoot first, ask questions later" is at Tesla Model S mule spotted in California. Theories abound that it is an abandoned car on a vacant lot, even though the article clearly mentions the location and says Tesla confirmed it. Then a few joke about using Magnum gliders for the WhiteStar, although the last paragraph specifically mentions that the wheelbase and weight are the only relevant pieces of information that can be gleaned from the sighting. I was going to respond, but decided not to waste my time. Anyways, congrats to Doug and TEG for creating a huge Internet buzz.
It will be interesting to see how far, (if at all) Elon's "functionality" remark is intended to dampen expectations of Karma / Lightning-like styling. But then he is a man with a young family, so maybe he can push the practicality of the design.