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sport or no sport that is the question...?!

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felixtb

RsEU502,Sp+14274,XpEUSig4
Jan 14, 2011
696
124
Lausanne, CH
I left the car in disbelief last night when I got home. I had been beaten fair and square by an audi ttrs in a drag race from a red light...?????!!! How is this possible, I thought and still wonder? My car seems to be very slow off the line with or without TC engaged. I will give it that I have winter tires on but...... an audi ttrs!!? it does at best a 0-100km/h in 4.9s that's a whole second slower than the roaster sport! As far as I know I bought a sport but with this dismal performance I am beginning to wonder what is really beneath the PEM in my little beauty.

Could it be just the winter tires?? or might I have a problem with the car? I do have a weird sound when I put the car in park. It sounds like the motor has seized up but maybe this is normal, I had thought so until last night..........

Thanks for any ideas on this highly embarrassing episode!!

felix b.
 
Sounds like more of a problem than just the difference between sport and non-sport (3.7 sec vs. 3.9 sec 0-60mph)! The Roadster 2.5 is definately a bit slower off the line than earlier versions, but it catches up quickly and matches earlier versions to achieve the same 0-60 mph. Note that 100km/h is a bit faster than 0-60mph so you have to add another 0.1 or so. In addtion, you need to add perhaps another 0.2 or so if you were not driving in sport mode at the time, and perhaps another 0.1 sec if you did not charge in sport mode, and a tad more if you did not have close to a full charge at the time of your race. Still other factors include top down (slower), windows open (slower), and accessories in use such as heater, air con, etc.

But in any circumstance you should at least be hitting < 4.5sec for 100km/h which gets you to the finish way faster than the Audi.
 
I think the problem are the winter tires. They make a huge difference. I switched back to Yokohama AD07 from Pirelli Sottozero II last weekend and the car feels way faster. Winter tires can't handle the fast acceleration of the Roadster and TC is kicking in heavily when accelerating from stand still.
 
Its remarkably easy to boost the performance of a TT RS with little more than a chip change/remap, so its quite possible that it was was a sub 4.0s to 60mph car.

Also, I'm sure you'd notice the difference in your own car if the acceleration has dropped from <4.0s to >5.0s
 
I know it is a sport unless of course tesla has cheated me.... I would highly doubt that. it was just a figure of speech. hmm maybe the ttrs was boosted but it semmed too new for that more probably the TC with winter tires and Benji4 you're right I was NOT in sports mode this and the tires are hopefully my answer and actually probably! it was just so chocking having a "stupid" little ttrs run away from me......... he'll learn not to cross me again!

thanks for the helpfull comments in my despair. :)
 
I think the problem are the winter tires. They make a huge difference. I switched back to Yokohama AD07 from Pirelli Sottozero II last weekend and the car feels way faster. Winter tires can't handle the fast acceleration of the Roadster and TC is kicking in heavily when accelerating from stand still.
I second this notion. Performance mode helps too.
 
My vote would be lower traction tires + the Audi possibly running more than stock boost.

Your sport model should say Sport on it in multiple places.
Usually there is the Sport logo on the back.
Then on the door sills when you open the doors.
Also, on the top of the PEM.

roadster-sport.jpg

2010-tesla-roadster-sport-motor.jpg
 
Car & Driver tested a TTRS and got a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds. Don't forget, that's including launch control and a rolling start.

Even so, over what distance was the race conducted? The Roadster's 1/4 mile time is over 12.5 seconds, the TTRS is 12.1 seconds. A chip flash will get the TTRS to around 11.5 seconds for the 1/4 mile. That's a second faster over just a quarter mile. Then add in the winter tires, not in Performance mode, etc., etc.
 
I left the car in disbelief last night when I got home. I had been beaten fair and square by an audi ttrs in a drag race from a red light...?????!!! How is this possible, I thought and still wonder? My car seems to be very slow off the line with or without TC engaged. I will give it that I have winter tires on but...... an audi ttrs!!? it does at best a 0-100km/h in 4.9s that's a whole second slower than the roaster sport! As far as I know I bought a sport but with this dismal performance I am beginning to wonder what is really beneath the PEM in my little beauty.

Could it be just the winter tires?? or might I have a problem with the car? I do have a weird sound when I put the car in park. It sounds like the motor has seized up but maybe this is normal, I had thought so until last night..........

Thanks for any ideas on this highly embarrassing episode!!

felix b.
I suggest a visit to the drag strip to verify your 0-60 and 1/4 mile times.

As for the reasons, I think the winter tires (which means less than ideal traction) and you likely not being in Performance mode (I suggest you learn how to put it into Performance mode quickly so you are ready next time) as the reasons why your car may feel sluggish. Don't know if it still applies the newer versions, but I think the TC on the Roadster has to "learn" new tires, so that may also be a factor:
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/6682-Traction-control-with-new-tires

Car & Driver tested a TTRS and got a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds. Don't forget, that's including launch control and a rolling start.

Even so, over what distance was the race conducted? The Roadster's 1/4 mile time is over 12.5 seconds, the TTRS is 12.1 seconds. A chip flash will get the TTRS to around 11.5 seconds for the 1/4 mile. That's a second faster over just a quarter mile. Then add in the winter tires, not in Performance mode, etc., etc.

I guess that would explain why the TTRS was so quick. I find with a lot of the recent ICE sports/super cars, launch control helps acceleration times a LOT; it's just most people don't know how to use it (and don't bother to learn). I wonder if a similar mode can be added to EVs (it can at least eliminate the slight delay from you slamming on the pedal which involves some pedal resistance vs having 100% of the torque applied immediately at the release of the brake pedal).
 
I suggest a visit to the drag strip to verify your 0-60 and 1/4 mile times.

As for the reasons, I think the winter tires (which means less than ideal traction) and you likely not being in Performance mode (I suggest you learn how to put it into Performance mode quickly so you are ready next time) as the reasons why your car may feel sluggish. Don't know if it still applies the newer versions, but I think the TC on the Roadster has to "learn" new tires, so that may also be a factor:
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/6682-Traction-control-with-new-tires



I guess that would explain why the TTRS was so quick. I find with a lot of the recent ICE sports/super cars, launch control helps acceleration times a LOT; it's just most people don't know how to use it (and don't bother to learn). I wonder if a similar mode can be added to EVs (it can at least eliminate the slight delay from you slamming on the pedal which involves some pedal resistance vs having 100% of the torque applied immediately at the release of the brake pedal).

plenty of cars can beat the roadster or roadster sport off the line (been torched on a few occasions by an IS-F)....the great thing about the roadster is the predictable linear acceleration. Just press the accelerator and go.
 
I definitely felt a BIG improvement in acceleration when I switched back from winter to summer tires. And even if the Audi beat you, you can take pleasure in the fact that it did so with a lot of big ugly noise, and a stink of pollution. If somebody GAVE me a Lambo, I'd sell it and stick with my very orange non-sport Roadster.