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Validation Prototypes (VPs)

Discussion in 'Roadster 2008-2012' started by TEG, Aug 12, 2007.

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  1. graham

    graham Active Member

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    With VPs coming in after production started, can they really be called "Validation Prototypes"?
     
  2. doug

    doug Administrator / Head Moderator

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    Not really I guess... I hear the Tesla people refer to them externally as "marketing cars." They get the VINs of VPs so as not to screw up the VIN sequence of cars intended for sale, but they aren't really prototypes any more. However, some VPs can get retasked as engineering cars to try out drivetrain components or different interior elements. I hear one of the current VPs will be modified to show off the 2009 interior.
     
  3. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    Marketing cars is the correct collective term, but the individual specimens are still referred to as VPxx in my experience.
     
  4. Palpatine

    Palpatine Banned

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    Glacier VP 16 is upgraded to a Sport package suspension. It doesn't have the motor or the wheels. But it does have the adjustable suspension already.
    If someone wants to update the master tracking list...
     
  5. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    #65 dpeilow, Apr 2, 2009
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2009
    VP30(?) - This has a different plate to VP25, so I guess so.

    [​IMG]

    OK who put the Gumball 3000 sticker on it?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    From here.


    (ah - he did...)
     
  6. doug

    doug Administrator / Head Moderator

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    VP28
    Very Orange, powder coat black wheels, sport tires.
    premium two-tone, rally 1, black/orange, orange head restraint

    3404592435_d5e7541f57_b.jpg
    3387389893_704df30b18_b.jpg
     
  7. Palpatine

    Palpatine Banned

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    Doug, are those aftermarket black wheels? Or are those the same that Tesla will be providing?
     
  8. doug

    doug Administrator / Head Moderator

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    They took the normal wheels and had them powder coated. I was told the Tesla wheels will be different but similar.
     
  9. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    VP31 - Electric Blue, microfibre.

    3448079345_b59dbd89ac_o.jpg
     
  10. Palpatine

    Palpatine Banned

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    VP31 - Electric Blue, microfibre: Now assigned to the Seattle area sales rep. It is based up here as a marketing car. I took it for a drive today to get my monthly Tesla Roadster fix.
     
  11. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    Does VP31 hold the record for the VP driven by the most forum members? :biggrin:
     
  12. Seneca_Chicago

    Seneca_Chicago Co-Founder @ Current Automotive

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  13. vfx

    vfx Well-Known Member

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    Cool!

    More screen saver images.
     
  14. Alpine Driver

    Alpine Driver Member

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  15. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    Cool. What's the deal with that Magna Steyr Mini?
     
  16. Alpine Driver

    Alpine Driver Member

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    I dont know about it, also asked Craig, but he also didnt know.
    He just thought it might be "more easy to hide or demonstrate" something in a Mini (put out the back seats, add some battery there) than in an other car.
    The controllers under the hood looked "cool", but from the data of the car itself it was not that blast.
    Anyway, as long as we dont know some price point, we cant judge on the technics. But I think it is more a demonstration mule for power / drivetrain parts magna is developing in this area for OEM use by other manufacturers.
     
  17. RGB

    RGB eRaca

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    Guess we missed each other.
    Was good to get my hands on the Roadster again - and lots of fun to drive it around the track a few times.
     
  18. raymond

    raymond Member

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    I drove VP30 last week. Photos made by a friend of mine at Autozine.nl. (Review only in Dutch - translation will follow)
     
  19. lmore

    lmore Member

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    It is claimed that VP18 has a 240 kW motor which is more powerful that the standard and sport motors, could this be true?

    If this is the case, could the new 3.0 battery upgrade be able to take advantage of this?

    In case of an update to the VP listing, I can confirm that VP18 is converted to Brabus.
    VP18: Radiant Red; microfiber -- rumored to have been converted to the Brabus Roadster.
     
  20. TEG

    TEG Teslafanatic

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    Interesting...

    It felt like VP31 was quicker than it should have been as well.

    I heard rumors that some Roadsters are known as "mutants" because they make more power than advertised.


    This:
    Roadster Features and Specifications | Tesla Motors
    Says "...Up to 295 lbs-ft of torque and 300 horsepower are produced..."
    240kW would be like 321hp...

    For some reason, this:
    Tesla Roadster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    says "2.5 Sport : 288 hp (215 kW)"

    The max HP numbers seem to vary from place to place... 288hp? 290hp? 300hp? 321hp?
     

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