I was at the event and I was blown away by the autopilot during my test drive. The P85D drove itself back to the starting area thru a serpentine course at 30mph (reading the speed limit signs and auto-steered). No one I talked to was expecting model x or model 3 news because Elon clearly said at VF interview that there wouldn't be news on those cars. I don't get people sometimes. Maybe I'm just better informed than most.
To be fair, pretty much only the VF interview made it clear this wasn't about the X (and, I agree, it made it abundantly clear). The original invitation wasn't clear at all. Someone waiting for X, through the real delays that are there, and then getting an invite as a Model X reservation holder to an event (especially one with timing that even an informed person could have thought is related to the X) could easily have concluded otherwise. No? Perhaps we can't really expect everyone to keep on the pulse of the automotive bible that is Vanity Fair to temper their expectations.
Think of it from a laypersons perspective. You order a car, it gets delayed and then some. Finally the car company invites you to a special unveiling, close to the time the latest tidbits suggest your car is finally coming out. What would a reasonable person expect the event to be about? And would it be reasonable to expect that person to follow a publication from a completely unrelated field to keep up? Maybe, just maybe, the car company sending out those invites would have been wise to offer a little more information to let people make informed attendance decisions? I'm sure Tesla means well, so chalk this up to suggestions to improve communications.
All that said, disappointment over the lack of Model X news from Thursday can be quite warranted, no matter what the realistic and/or reasonable expectations evolved into. A closely informed person wouldn't have expected such news anymore after the VF interview, but that doesn't mean said person couldn't be reasonably disappointed by the fact, considering the delays and silence surrounding Model X.
While it probably has little to do with the D event and its content, the conclusion that Falcon Wings are behind the overall Model X delay probably isn't too far off the mark. Hopefully those are solved now and it is just a matter of another unveil in the weeks immediately ahead.
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I wasn't disappointed because I really didn't expect the Model X to be there. The Model X had it's unveiling two years ago. The final reveal for the Model S wasn't until test drives and first delivery events. I didn't expect it to be different this time around and I would expect Tesla to give the Model X it's full attention at it's own events. Dual drive is here, so now we know it isn't far off. We still got some great insights into what will be a part of the Model X's drivetrain design and other features. It gave us some pricing insights too.
Well, Model S also had its unveiling years ago too. I guess if we are to follow your idea, they would have had to show these on the Model 3 to keep it fresh.
Showing these features on the Model X - or both on Model S and X - would have been equally warranted as showing them on the Model S. Or perhaps even more so, considering the delays surrounding Model X.
In reality, it would have been trivial for Tesla to actually inform us of those Model X details alongside the Model S details, assuming those details are ready. Either they are not ready or they had a marketing reason not to.
