If I didn't have a family and friends nor relatives, I'd go for the roadster. As a family man (with friends and relatives), I will get either the Plaid 7s X or Plaid 6-7s Cybertruck. If they are years apart, I would get Plaid 7s S in between.
In 1999 Montana was the last state to impose a speed limit. So, yeah, nobody can go 200 mph on public roads in America unless you count once a year open road racing events in Nevada, Nebraska or Texas.
You can't just make up acronyms nobody has heard of and then just expect everyone to know what you're talking about.
What? Surely you jest? I see hundreds of people not using their turn signals every day because THEY know where they are going. Isn't that the same?
The history of the Corvette on this point is instructive. The Corvette was until the last two generations pretty much what you would call a 'numbers car'. Meaning it would generate great numbers but it was not much fun to drive, and its handling was frankly clumsy. In the C7 and C8 iteration they finally got a car that is fun to drive feels light and responsive, and most who've driven the C8 say it's still got room for improvement in terms of handling Dynamics. Enter the Tesla Model S with the Plaid drivetrain. Yes it's going to have incredible numbers, demolishing everything except the Roadster, but frankly doing back-to-back drives in the Model S compared to a properly set up Model 3, I find that I miss the Model 3's responsive handling a lot more than I enjoy the better acceleration of the model S. To me at least the model S still feels very ponderous and large. Some of that is simply its size but some of it is suspension Behavior. Like I said there's more to Performance than just numbers, and even from a numbers standpoint the Model 3 is capable particularly in real track form of generating lateral acceleration that the Model S can't do at least from what we've seen in terms of comparable prep. I'm not knocking the Model S (if it hadn't been successful there would be no model 3), but I do think it needs a suspension refresh (along with a styling refresh and very badly needed interior redesign), and I think a design target should be making it feel lighter than it does. They did an amazing job with that on the Model 3 which feels like it weighs maybe 3300 to 3400 lb. I'll be very curious when the Roadster comes out whether or not it has a lighter-on-its-feet feel compared to the big sedan (and I suspect it will weigh within spitting distance of the model S but maybe be just a little bit lighter). I would predict that yes it will have that lighter on its feet feel from the model 3 DNA. At least I hope so.
You can only do 85 in one small part of Texas. Hope springs eternal for Maxwell's active suspension to make it I to the roadster or Plaid S.
I'm curious as to where and when you actually drove the Model S Plaid? I think more likely, that you have NOT driven the Plaid and are instead comparing the current Model S to the current Model 3? Before you give us a written comparison of two cars, don't you think it would be better if you actually drove both cars?
Thank you Bill for that trenchant comment. Almost no one has actually driven a Plaid and what they're calling a Plaid is of course a pre-production prototype that's likely to change. But I think you missed the entire point of my post and it actually wasn't a "written comparison" about the Plaid, it was a post about the need for a suspension update on the Model S. Again you completely missed that. You're suggesting that the Plaid actually does have a suspension update or redesign without Tesla indicating so? If you are saying so or implying so, perhaps you might want to really want to put that in writing? Of course the problem with that inference is that that's not Tesla's style (not remotely), if they did a suspension redesign they would have told us. It more likely just will have stiffer springs and shocks. That's not the same thing as a redo. Can you see the difference between those two things? Now do you understand what I'm saying?
How little YOU understand? I understand all that you are asking, but you are STILL comparing something you know little if nothing about to a current model, the model 3. Do you understand that you cannot claim the the Plaid model does NOT have a suspension update if you don't really know? Do you understand that you are actually comparing a current Model S (in your mind) to a current Model 3? Until you have driven a production Model S Plaid, do you understand that you CANNOT compare it to any other current model?
If the Plaid is as fast as the roadster and cheaper, I'll go with the plaid. I have a need for speed. Gotta keep up with the 1,000 hp cars out there today.
Elon twitted that the roadster will be better than the plaid. Assuming that will include the speed and acceleration. Just how much of an improvement we'll have to wait and see.
The question I have is: which one will be available first? My bet is it’ll be the Model S. They would never want to release an inferior Roadster and as it seems little progress has been made (zero announcements whatsoever) I guess they’ll “upgrade” the Roadster design with the new battery. And anyway they’re clearly not in a rush to release the Roadster as it’ll add very little to the bottom line.
The PMS makes more sense. Plus the Plaid Model S will be more of a SLEEPER, and that trumps a LAM (LOOK AT ME). With the Roadster you are a moving target for anyone who has a cell-phone and has "Karen" tendencies. With the PMS you at least have a chance of blending in with other traffic. And you are more likely to put a seed of doubt in the mind of the state trooper. Because there are more model S Blue sedans out there than red "supercars". And you were just testing hi-speed stability for an article in a popular men's magazine, "Yes Sir officer. They made me do it or I-would-lose-my-job". PMS, that has a catchy ring to it, though MSP is good too (Montana State Police, "yeah-lived-there-a-long-time, in some areas of the state they limit you to 80. No I swear...80, do you want to try the 0 to 60?...YOU can drive.") That actually worked for me in Arizona once in 1983 at age 22. Got a grin out of him!