Variance in hand wound motors of the Sport models?

[7racer]

Was getting service at the Dallas store and one of the techs asked if someday we could do a drag race (half kidding). I was like sure! But the Model S has more HP so should start to pull on me.

He then mentions that since the Roadster Sports motors where all hand wound, there is some variations in power/torque between cars. They mentioned mine felt particularly fast.

Is this true???? Is there much variation in the hand wound motors?

 

[hcsharp]

Is this true???? Is there much variation in the hand wound motors?

I used to fly model airplanes for a hobby. This was a few years ago but you could buy pretty good machine-wound brushless DC motors really cheap. You could also pay a lot more money and get a hand-wound stator. The motors with hand-wound stators were generally 1 - 2% more efficient than computer-wound stators. So more powerful for the same energy use. Apparently an experienced human can anticipate several turns ahead to get a tighter wind than the machine. To answer how much variance there is from one hand-wound motor to another - I'll bet nobody knows except a couple of engineers at Tesla who tested this stuff way back when.

 

[efxjim]

I was also told by a store manager mine was the fastest he had ever driven and what did I do to it. The only thing I've done is love it.

 

[Doug_G]

Most people would have trouble noticing the difference between a sport and non-sport, so I'd think the difference here would be pretty subtle.

(My Model S P85 out-drags my non-Sport Roadster quite handily. Roadster is a little faster 0-60, but the Model S beats by 0.5 seconds in the 1/4 mile - Model S is much better at higher speeds.)

 

[hcsharp]

I don't believe anybody could "feel" the difference from one sport motor to another. Variables such as temperature of the pack, tire temp, road surface, and other things would have a greater impact than the tiny variance in windings.

 

[adiggs]

I think I got one of the bum Sport motors - I only pull 294 lb-feet of torque as the best I've seen (in cockpit display), over the listed 295 lb-ft of torque. It's been tough, but I'm managing to live with it though

 

[andybm3]

I have a 2008 1.5 and did a back-to-back drive with a 2.5 sport and could not feel a discernible difference

 

[Doug_G]

I've driven a Sport (the old Toronto demo car) and non-Sport (mine) back-to-back. You certainly can tell the difference, but it's all in the launch. Once you're moving if feels the same.

 

[wiztecy]

The 1.5's have more torque / punch off the line than the 2.0 (when driven in std. mode) and if you do feel a difference it would be more apparent with a 2.x non-sport vs. a sport rather than a 1.5 vs. a 2.x sport.

 

[dhrivnak]

I did get to go against a P85 Model S on a 1/8" track several tiems last year. My 1.5 was in front every time. But I could see him catching me in an 1/4 mile run.

 

[Doug_G]

Roadster easily wins the 1/8th mile every time.

Model S P85 easily wins the 1/4 mile every time. Top speed is also significantly higher.

At a drag race event a couple of years ago my Roadster was the fastest in the 1/4 mile against over 60 other cars. But they also measured 1/2 mile top speed, and it was second last. Beat out one Mustang.

 

[Pantera Dude]

Roadster easily wins the 1/8th mile every time.

Model S P85 easily wins the 1/4 mile every time. Top speed is also significantly higher.

At a drag race event a couple of years ago my Roadster was the fastest in the 1/4 mile against over 60 other cars. But they also measured 1/2 mile top speed, and it was second last. Beat out one Mustang.

Good info! As a Roadster only owner, it's nice to know it can at least beat the Model S in 0-60 time. :biggrin: I presume you meant 1/4 mile top speed instead of 1/2 mile?

 

[adiggs]

Good info! As a Roadster only owner, it's nice to know it can at least beat the Model S in 0-60 time. :biggrin: I presume you meant 1/4 mile top speed instead of 1/2 mile?

Or as I like to tell people I bump into out and about, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, if you want to LOOK fast, you drive the Roadster. If you want to BE fast, drive the Model S.

 

[Doug_G]

Good info! As a Roadster only owner, it's nice to know it can at least beat the Model S in 0-60 time. :biggrin: I presume you meant 1/4 mile top speed instead of 1/2 mile?

No, 1/2 mile top speed. It was a charity event and they were doing things a little differently.

 

[Pantera Dude]

No, 1/2 mile top speed. It was a charity event and they were doing things a little differently.

Cool, sounds like fun!

 

[asgard]

A Roadster with a battery pack with the newer model S chemistry would probably smoke anything out there excepting a Veyron ;-)