Fernand
Active Member
What's the price on the "Stealth"? Is it a standard SKU now? Where can I see the specs?
Y'all (welcome!) emigrants from the ICE Toad and Torque market seem to forget that, unlike traditional performance barbie bait, Teslas don't sell with a ton of "trim" options. Personally, I'd get a Stealth and customize it after driving it for a while. Because the bells and whistles of the Performance "trim" are one-size-fits all and the dollar delta is probably better spent on third party more personal choices. Red brake calipers and "performance pedals" aren't high value items, e.g. my equivalent aluminum pedals cost around $10.
With the center of gravity so low because of the massive battery these cars handle differently. And FWIW 18" wheels offer better energy transfer and tire choices. And with the battery being such a critical part of the car and its price, taking any chance on bottoming on it seems unwise.
But whatever you may think now, if you have the privilege and joy to go with the most advanced EV on planet Earth, please don't get half a Tesla. If you're getting the best, don't sell yourself short. Get the full package, whether Stealth or Performance, and finance it with the complete FSD automation.
There's a misconception about "FSD" that goes something like this: "when they ship Full Self Driving I can evaluate it, and add it if it's any good". But here's the deal. It's already darned good, and they will never ship a "Full Self Driving" SKU. Because there's no end-point. It will be an AI work in progress for years. And at every OTA update they will add more amazing features, while the regulators get in the way - to help the competitors try to catch up. Well, they won't catch up. And right now, once you learn how best to use it, you can have both a monster machine that handles like a mofo, say an updated turbo Porsche 928, AND in NOA w/ Mad Max mode the monster takes you from your Freeway entrance to your Freeway exit as much by itself as you choose. It's not either/or, it's a whole additional mode, and not having that (and all the coming developments) would be, to use an analogy, like only getting it with a 3 speed manual transmission, when you could have had selective 5 speed/4WD/Auto. By the time you realize that, and you see others loving and raging their Model 3s through all its different modes, you'll be digging up even more cash because - trust me - you WILL want it too.
I just had a fun drive in the rain tonight, running version 2019.36.2.3. It's great when you can say "Navigate home", and it lays out the map, and you crank up the speed limiter to 75 (or 80) MPH, and you can sit back and watch the traffic ballet and how the Tesla weaves in and out to pick the best lane, accelerating like a mofo when it's clear, and being cool when it's not. Your choice, you've got it ALL, you can drop into manual any time. It's a mood and context thing. Personally, I save that for "late for a meeting" thrill, or construction zones. There was one cone city tonight that was fun to take over on - but the rest of the route was more fun to co-pilot on, watch the dance, keep a finger on the wheel, lean back into the comfy seat, mess with the music and drip tasty Havana liquid into my vape. Why would anyone not want it all? It's just so cool. See what I'm sayin' and why I'm taking the time to keep y'all from that half a Tesla buyer's remorse?
.
Y'all (welcome!) emigrants from the ICE Toad and Torque market seem to forget that, unlike traditional performance barbie bait, Teslas don't sell with a ton of "trim" options. Personally, I'd get a Stealth and customize it after driving it for a while. Because the bells and whistles of the Performance "trim" are one-size-fits all and the dollar delta is probably better spent on third party more personal choices. Red brake calipers and "performance pedals" aren't high value items, e.g. my equivalent aluminum pedals cost around $10.
With the center of gravity so low because of the massive battery these cars handle differently. And FWIW 18" wheels offer better energy transfer and tire choices. And with the battery being such a critical part of the car and its price, taking any chance on bottoming on it seems unwise.
But whatever you may think now, if you have the privilege and joy to go with the most advanced EV on planet Earth, please don't get half a Tesla. If you're getting the best, don't sell yourself short. Get the full package, whether Stealth or Performance, and finance it with the complete FSD automation.
There's a misconception about "FSD" that goes something like this: "when they ship Full Self Driving I can evaluate it, and add it if it's any good". But here's the deal. It's already darned good, and they will never ship a "Full Self Driving" SKU. Because there's no end-point. It will be an AI work in progress for years. And at every OTA update they will add more amazing features, while the regulators get in the way - to help the competitors try to catch up. Well, they won't catch up. And right now, once you learn how best to use it, you can have both a monster machine that handles like a mofo, say an updated turbo Porsche 928, AND in NOA w/ Mad Max mode the monster takes you from your Freeway entrance to your Freeway exit as much by itself as you choose. It's not either/or, it's a whole additional mode, and not having that (and all the coming developments) would be, to use an analogy, like only getting it with a 3 speed manual transmission, when you could have had selective 5 speed/4WD/Auto. By the time you realize that, and you see others loving and raging their Model 3s through all its different modes, you'll be digging up even more cash because - trust me - you WILL want it too.
I just had a fun drive in the rain tonight, running version 2019.36.2.3. It's great when you can say "Navigate home", and it lays out the map, and you crank up the speed limiter to 75 (or 80) MPH, and you can sit back and watch the traffic ballet and how the Tesla weaves in and out to pick the best lane, accelerating like a mofo when it's clear, and being cool when it's not. Your choice, you've got it ALL, you can drop into manual any time. It's a mood and context thing. Personally, I save that for "late for a meeting" thrill, or construction zones. There was one cone city tonight that was fun to take over on - but the rest of the route was more fun to co-pilot on, watch the dance, keep a finger on the wheel, lean back into the comfy seat, mess with the music and drip tasty Havana liquid into my vape. Why would anyone not want it all? It's just so cool. See what I'm sayin' and why I'm taking the time to keep y'all from that half a Tesla buyer's remorse?
.
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