WhiteStar styling ideas

[Laurent]

I don't particularly like the CLS design. The headlights are the ugliest part:

 

[Kevin Harney]

agreed on the headlights but the body styling is nice. Put Roadster lights there instead and all the sudden not so bad looking...

 

[stopcrazypp]

Yes I would like that .. I said it was a nice design. My point is more to the fact that there are really NO production hatchbacks in the luxury class of car. Why is that ? No market for it perhaps ? Nobody has shown me a picture of a 4 door luxury production hatchback yet. I like the coupe look and the sedan look and even the look of a CUV or SUV it is just the look of the hatchback that I dislike. There has to be a reason that there is not a LUXURY HATCHBACK in production anywhere in the world !!!! My guess is that a hatchback does not give the luxury image ... to me anyway that is true though that is just MHO.

There are some hatchbacks from luxury makers: The 1 series from BMW & A class from Mercedes. However they are lower price range and smaller. The closest in the higher price range is the BMW X6, but that is more of an SUV.

I'm guessing the Model S is going to look like a coupe or sedan, and we pretty much know that it will have 4 or more doors. I think a smaller hatchback is fit for Tesla's third model, but I am fairly sure the Model S won't be a small hatchback because of it's $50k starting price.

 

[TEG]

R-Class?

 

[Cobos]

The R-class is a station wagon isn't it. That's what I always thought it looked like. A humongous station wagon perhaps with a little bit more road clearance than a "normal" station wagon. I like the R-class though, but I dare say that is too big for the Model S. Cobos

 

[Kevin Harney]

Stopcrazy and TEG,

Again yes all nice but not what we have been told. DS recently said there are no plans yet for a CUV or SUV or Station Wagon. These are 5 door cars which have been ruled out by DS in his comments. TM has no current plans for these types of vehicles but the platform will support them in the future. That was the gist of the comment. So what remains to be seen is a luxury HATCHBACK. Not a SUV. Not a CUV. and Not a Station Wagon type vehicle.

 

[Cobos]

Double post...

 

[Michael]

I do hope that whatever comes out, that there is still sufficient headroom. I understand that the Mercedes CLS is a bit limited in the back seat.

 

[vfx]

... the BMW X6, but that is more of an SUV.

When I saw the ads for the X6 I thought it was amazingly beautiful. A perfectly stylish SUV. I went out of my way to catch one at the local dealership.Not so hot in person. Just looks good on film.
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Sort of like Jessica Simpson.

 

[TEG]

The distinction between hatchback and "station wagon" ("Estate Car" in Europe) can be somewhat blurry.

I bet EM's target is something like the Maserati Quattroporte Bellagio Fastback...

 

[stopcrazypp]

Stopcrazy and TEG,

Again yes all nice but not what we have been told. DS recently said there are no plans yet for a CUV or SUV or Station Wagon. These are 5 door cars which have been ruled out by DS in his comments. TM has no current plans for these types of vehicles but the platform will support them in the future. That was the gist of the comment. So what remains to be seen is a luxury HATCHBACK. Not a SUV. Not a CUV. and Not a Station Wagon type vehicle.

I'm well aware they ruled out SUV, CUV, and Station wagon,which is why I said "but that is more of an SUV" for the X6.

My guess is Model S will look like the BMW Gran Turismo (AKA CS Concept), the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Maserati Quattroporte, Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera (all of these designs are posted in this thread except the Quattroporte), all of which are all sedans which look like coupes, except the Model S will have a hatch.

Since TEG posted the Fastback Maserati, I'll post the normal version:

The Panamera does fit your original request for a luxury hatchback (I forgot it was a hatchback), and it is higher end in pricing, similar to Model S. Here's a look at a more production ready version:

 

[TEG]

The top 4:

Porsche Panamera:

Aston Martin Rapide:

Maserati Quattroporte Bellagio Fastback

BMW CS:

 

[vfx]

Aston Martin Rapide:

Long ago I chose this one as my Whitestar design. The Fiskar choice was a bonus.

This one makes me drool like Homer Simpson. Aaaaawstuuuun Maaaaaartiiiin

 

[dpeilow]

Does it have to be 4 door? I really fell for this now and it looks so much nicer in reality too.

 

[TEG]

Does it have to be 4 door? I really fell for this now and it looks so much nicer in reality too.

Yes, this whole topic is speculation about Whitestar styling. We know it will be 4 door + probably "hatchback" of some sort. To me this topic is now more about guessing what "Model S" might look like, and less about what styling I like.

There are a gobs of 2 door Coupes that we could mention here, but that isn't the point.

[Edited my post to remove pix of 2 door BMW. DPeilow - care to remove Audi & Volvo pix from this topic?]

 

[graham]

Does it have to be 4 door? I really fell for this now and it looks so much nicer in reality too.

Yes, I think Darryl Siry (and perhaps Elon Musk) have been quoted as saying that it will be a 4-door hatchback.

Edit to add: TEG types faster than I do

 

[dpeilow]

Sorry <slaps wrist>...

Perhaps the new A4 then :-/ ?

 

[stopcrazypp]

Long ago I chose this one as my Whitestar design. The Fiskar choice was a bonus.

This one makes me drool like Homer Simpson. Aaaaawstuuuun Maaaaaartiiiin

Of course like Michael mentioned earlier, there are concerns about headroom with these kind of designs (similar in the Fisker and the CLS).

However, I have to agree, something like the Rapide would be awesome as a Model S design. It's the best looking of the bunch, in my opinion.

 

[graham]

something like the Rapide would be awesome as a Model S design. It's the best looking of the bunch, in my opinion.

Agreed! Now if only Tesla would do something like hire Aston Martin's designer...

Or maybe that would not turn out so well...

 

[vfx]

Hey what's the car on the wall behind JB?
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While we are at it, what is written on the blue tape (probably from the factory)?

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