Tesla P85 or 2013 Civic SI with forced induction?

[chickensevil]

Yes, and one scenario I'm considering is keeping the Civic SI to pass down to my fiancee. This would allow me to purchase either the Roadster or a new (2013+ model) Corvette and not worry about the 2 seats. If I kept the Civic SI, then I could handle some unreliability because I can always use the Civic SI in emergencies.

In the scenario of keeping the Civic SI, what do you all think - Corvette, Roadster, or Model S? I really need to hear from Roadster owners regarding its reliability and viability as a daily driver.

Curt, if he has caught this thread is a good one to answer that, because he uses it as his daily driver. The only time he can't use the Roadster is when he has to lug around a bunch of cargo... But from what he has told me, he loves driving it all over the place and he has put quite a few miles on it from the point at which he bought it (it was a CPO)

If you are going to get a Roadster I HIGHLY recommend a CPO, you get a nice warranty and you know that it is in good working condition. Last I saw there was only one left though.

 

[tga]

That thread is getting hilarious.. So much ignorance.

I love the fire comments, and the guy saying how often you are going to have to lube the regenerative brakes! So much win. Simple response to thread: honda on fire

He's also convinced that there are "explosive supercapacitors" in the car (no supercaps). But he used to work for Toyota at the NUMMI factory, so he's got the inside info...

 

[ACDriveMotor]

I don't believe a supercharged Civic SI will be as fast as a turbocharged Civic, however.

?? Turbo has rpm lag, and turbo increases exhaust back-pressure. There is a reason dragsters are superchaged and not turbocharged. And there is a reason newer performance cars tend to go with supercharging.

 

[Daniel R. Lucas]

Curt, if he has caught this thread is a good one to answer that, because he uses it as his daily driver. The only time he can't use the Roadster is when he has to lug around a bunch of cargo... But from what he has told me, he loves driving it all over the place and he has put quite a few miles on it from the point at which he bought it (it was a CPO)

If you are going to get a Roadster I HIGHLY recommend a CPO, you get a nice warranty and you know that it is in good working condition. Last I saw there was only one left though.

Yeah, right now I'm actually considering keeping the Civic SI and going with a used Roadster. I rarely travel interstate, so the Roadster would meet my needs 99.9% of the time.

He's also convinced that there are "explosive supercapacitors" in the car (no supercaps). But he used to work for Toyota at the NUMMI factory, so he's got the inside info...

That thread is crazy.

In case anyone wonders, I definitely will not be modifying my Civic SI due to all the headaches associated with it.

 

[KalOrtPor]

Performancewise, I wouldn't put too much stock in the 1/4 mile time....The standard rules really don't apply to EVs. I've heard people complain about the P85 "only" having 416 hp for the price. It performs like it has over 600 thanks to the efficiency of the electric drivetrain. Don't forget, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 that raced the Model S was only 3,000lbs but didn't start overtaking it until near 100mph and almost a 1/4 mile itself had passed...Even a GT-R has to play catch up at first. Without launch control or from a 5mph roll, the differences are greater. The full instant torque gives its greatest advantage from the very beginning, allowing the Model S to cover more ground earlier so it can be further ahead than cars with faster 0-60 times. I'm willing to bet the same with the 707hp Challenger Hellcat I keep hearing about everywhere. The limiting factor is the single speed gear, otherwise if even a 2nd gear could kick in around 60-70mph, the car could possibly go below 11 sec 1/4 mile, and low 3 second 0-60. That may just happen with an AWD version and a different ratio for the 2nd motor....Can you imagine a P120 AWD Model S with more powerful inverters? I can't wait to see what Saleen has done, and wonder if any of the mods will be available for existing cars.

What I'm saying is any incentive to spend significant money on mods to a Civic would be for performance reasons, so performance is definitely a consideration, but a Model S would be better in almost every real-world situation on the street. Unless you regularly spend time past 100mph or at tracks...which the car's speed to its max is still remarkable considering its lack of transmission. Pretty much any other time, the instant and brutal throttle response really pulls it ahead in ways you hadn't even thought of once you actually use it. The Roadster is even faster, and depending on how much they charge, the 400 mile range battery upgrade might still put it less than a P85 all-in, I haven't really been checking prices. On this forum we would think the MS beats the Civic in pretty much any other attribute as well.

 

[jerry33]

What I'm saying is any incentive to spend significant money on mods to a Civic would be for performance reasons, so performance is definitely a consideration, but a Model S would be better in almost every real-world situation on the street. Unless you regularly spend time past 100mph or at tracks...which the car's speed to its max is still remarkable considering its lack of transmission. Pretty much any other time, the instant and brutal throttle response really pulls it ahead in ways you hadn't even thought of once you actually use it. The Roadster is even faster, and depending on how much they charge, the 400 mile range battery upgrade might still put it less than a P85 all-in, I haven't really been checking prices. On this forum we would think the MS beats the Civic in pretty much any other attribute as well.

Agreed. When I lived elsewhere, my racing buddies did performance mods to cars to support their racing habit. What I saw over the years was that almost no one kept their modded car for more than about six months--and this was often after spending $20K to $60K for performance mods. Basically most performance mods make the cars a real challenge to drive on the road--especially if you also have to keep the girl/boyfriend or spouse happy. In addition, they are frequently in for fixing.

If this will be mainly a track car, then that's fine, but for a street car you're going to be far happier with the Model S.