[UK] Model S/X LHD Discussion

[EVMeister]

It's bad enough when I put the phone on the wireless charger and leave it behind and that has happened quite a few times. Not so bad at home as need the card that lives in the phone case to get into the house but shocking when you go to the supermarket only to come back and realise the you left the car on a free for all for about an hour

Yup, definitely been there.

 

[Doudeau]

Back in 2005, when I bought a house in France, I spotted that cars seemed to depreciate much slower there than in the UK and so I had the bright idea of buying cheap LHD cars in the UK in order to use in France and resell them there at a profit in due course.

I quickly determined that LHD cars weren’t as cheap as I would have guessed in the UK (pretty much parity to RHD models for even average cars) and so there wasn’t really any profit to be had .I.e. at the time they didn’t depreciate too badly.

Personally, and even if that’s still true, I wouldn’t take the risk of buying a LHD MS as the models’ future has got to be in doubt imho - and surely that is likely to have a greater influence on its future value. I don’t think any mass market electric car is likely to ever have a cult status for future value appreciation like ICE cars of the past.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Back in 2005, when I bought a house in France, I spotted that cars seemed to depreciate much slower there than in the UK and so I had the bright idea of buying cheap LHD cars in the UK in order to use in France and resell them there at a profit in due course.

I quickly determined that LHD cars weren’t as cheap as I would have guessed in the UK (pretty much parity to RHD models for even average cars) and so there wasn’t really any profit to be had .I.e. at the time they didn’t depreciate too badly.

Personally, and even if that’s still true, I wouldn’t take the risk of buying a LHD MS as the models’ future has got to be in doubt imho - and surely that is likely to have a greater influence on its future value. I don’t think any mass market electric car is likely to ever have a cult status for future value appreciation like ICE cars of the past.

I'm not that surprised. you won't be the only person who had thought of the idea. A mate who lives in Brighton sold his old Mitsubishi PHEV to a dealer in Ireland who exported it, both RHD markets, but shows that some enterprising people will be on the look out for cars in different regions to make a few quid and they'll make their own competitive market.

 

[FastLaneJB]

Horses for courses and I Cant and should not argue someone else's preference. For me it's a place holder to put things between trips and less likely to leave behind because its more out of sight. It's bad enough when I put the phone on the wireless charger and leave it behind and that has happened quite a few times. Not so bad at home as need the card that lives in the phone case to get into the house but shocking when you go to the supermarket only to come back and realise the you left the car on a free for all for about an hour

I've two phones and setup my second one with work number in the other day to the Tesla as a Phone Key. Left it in the car (Hidden of course) and couldn't workout for a second why the car wasn't locking as I walked away. Then clicked and had to take second phone with me, I'll probably remove this from it again to be sure but you do assume when you walk away it's going to lock after a while.

 

[WannabeOwner]

you do assume when you walk away it's going to lock after a while

1st world problem of course ... but ... It could beep horn if driver gets out (and leaves phone in the car).

After all, it does that if you leave the lights on ...

 

[yessuz]

I've two phones and setup my second one with work number in the other day to the Tesla as a Phone Key. Left it in the car (Hidden of course) and couldn't workout for a second why the car wasn't locking as I walked away. Then clicked and had to take second phone with me, I'll probably remove this from it again to be sure but you do assume when you walk away it's going to lock after a while.

You can disable BT and car will not treat your work phone as phone key.

But it's pain in the arse to remember to enable it again.. imho easier is to carry second phone with you.


But anyhow,, back to the topic... you should be kicked in the head by a horse to buy 100k+ LHD car to drive in UK

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Made me smile - I like a bit or corporate humour

 

[Js1977]

Made me smile - I like a bit or corporate humour

View attachment 937594

Nice car but for me personally, because ive seen one of these dissected, its a case of when you go to a restaurant dont go into the kitchen just in case

 

[Overworked]

Nice car but for me personally, because ive seen one of these dissected, its a case of when you go to a restaurant dont go into the kitchen just in case

Sandy Munro's teardown of the thermal system still makes me laugh! When they empty the box of hoses on to the table. Somebody went through the existing spare parts bin to make it all up. A traditional "bitsa" job.

 

[FastLaneJB]

Honestly I suspect I'll just sit tight for a bit. LHD is just going to be too much of a pain and honestly not sure anything else takes my fancy at the moment. Don't need a new car, I just wanted this one

 

[opieor]

Honestly I suspect I'll just sit tight for a bit. LHD is just going to be too much of a pain and honestly not sure anything else takes my fancy at the moment. Don't need a new car, I just wanted this one

This is where I am. Just gutted that something I've aspired to for such a long time is now out of my reach and there is nothing else that takes my fancy.

 

[doats1]

Good thing I can't afford an S/X otherwise I too would be livid

 

[FastLaneJB]

This is where I am. Just gutted that something I've aspired to for such a long time is now out of my reach and there is nothing else that takes my fancy.

Indeed. They were about to put 1020hp into the hands of a wally like me but it's not to be

Previously had cars like M5 but if it's based on the XM power train that'll be pretty rubbish this gen. The E63 going down the PHEV / Hybrid also. With this tech they seem to stuggle to get engine and electric motor to work smoothly together. Won't be a patch on the Plaid.

Tycan might get three motors but that'll probably then have even worse range than it does now. Sadly the Plaid is probably ahead of its time in the power train. Probably be 2030 odd before other makes get the power and range. As someone else said there's the Polestar 5 which looks nice. Still down on power vs a Plaid of course.

 

[yessuz]

Sandy Munro's teardown of the thermal system still makes me laugh! When they empty the box of hoses on to the table. Somebody went through the existing spare parts bin to make it all up. A traditional "bitsa" job.

I do not really get all the laughs people make of the Ford's system.
it's not that any of you are going to serve neither tesla's octovalve, neither fords spaghetti.

difference is what I see, from the repair standpoint, that you could, for example replace one single component in ford's system while if *sugar* hits the fan with octovalve, you are looking at a lot of dollars to replace whole thing

 

[EVMeister]

I do not really get all the laughs people make of the Ford's system.
it's not that any of you are going to serve neither tesla's octovalve, neither fords spaghetti.

difference is what I see, from the repair standpoint, that you could, for example replace one single component in ford's system while if *sugar* hits the fan with octovalve, you are looking at a lot of dollars to replace whole thing

The Octovalve isn't particularly expensive, nor does it have a habbit of "going wrong".

 

[Mrklaw]

I'm not that surprised. you won't be the only person who had thought of the idea. A mate who lives in Brighton sold his old Mitsubishi PHEV to a dealer in Ireland who exported it, both RHD markets, but shows that some enterprising people will be on the look out for cars in different regions to make a few quid and they'll make their own competitive market.

in 2000 I bought a RHD ford puma (the proper shape one ) from a Ford dealer in the netherlands. Delivered to me brand new on a truck - my first new car experience, and I saved a fair bit due to the sales tax/import tax weirdness at the time making it cheaper to buy RHD from europe than UK

 

[WannabeOwner]

I saved a fair bit due to the sales tax/import tax weirdness at the time making it cheaper to buy RHD from europe than UK

Does that still work, these days, buying LHD from continent?

 

[whitex]

Actually the car stops better than a Taycan Turbo S from 70 according to documented tests. Indeed they will fade with repeated hard stops which I would never need to experience on my commute.

Subjectively the Taycan’s hybrid brakes are absolutely terrible and unpredictable - certainly on the one I tried. The amount you have to depress the pedal to get the same stopping power varies significantly. The guy trying to sell me the car was desperately but unsuccessfully trying to convince me how easy it was to adjust and live with - no thanks.

Huh? I have a decade of Model S driving (bought 4 new ones) and now driving a Taycan with PSCB brakes (but still have one Model S). Sorry, but Model S brakes are no match for Porsche brakes. I have experienced Model S brake fade outside of track use, and it doesn't feel great. I've traveled in similar situation with a Taycan, no problems at all. I had a really close call with some animals crossing the road in a mountainous area in my recent cost to coast trip, no problem whatsoever with the Taycan. I had a similar situation with a Model S few years back, it left me a bit unsettled (the car did slow down, but the brake pedal was all the way down and there some battery power warning that showed up for few seconds, it was not fun). In both cases it was after some mountainous terrain spirited driving, so brakes had some recent usage, then suddenly having to hit the brakes hard.

 

[whitex]

Cross Turismo Sport Turbo S. PSCBs with regen set to On. I understand regen is off for the first few application, but then is supposed to kick in. Except it kept up with inconsistent feel throughout my long test drive.

And thanks for the advice - will do.

Well, something doesn't add up, since all Turbo S come with ceramic brakes, and there is no option for PSCB's, not even if you wanted to pay Porsche a ton of money (I happen to know because I looked into ordering a Turbo S with PSCB's). So either you're just making things up, or you have no idea what you're driving or talking about. By the way, I now have a Taycan Turbo with PSCB's (it's not a Turbo S), and the brake feel is more consistent than any of my 4 Model S'es I've owned. Both had a consistent (drive to drive) feeling, except Model S when it was cold out, or when the battery was close to full. Taycan does not have a one-pedal-driving, but honestly, I like the more consistent feeling than Model S which always felt "weird" whenever starting a drive in a cold.

 

[yessuz]

The Octovalve isn't particularly expensive, nor does it have a habbit of "going wrong".

the same comes to overall heating/cooling systems.
who gives a crap if it is loads of piping or not. all that coolant is what, close to 5 ltr in total? 5 kg? or overall system, when car is ~2 tonnes, 15 kg difference is nothing.

that's why all this "look at all valves as pipes" at ford, vs lean tesla (Not sure if it is really only this, or they have few more hoses/valves which are not shown in that dismantle video) makes really no sense. you will not have to deal with it, nor service, nor repair. solution is solution. if it works - do not fix it.