Monkey tests a Tesla!

The place to discuss everything else..
LLL
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Post by LLL »

Thanks WingCo! And glad to read that you enjoy your lovely Panamera!

Haha. Peteski is joining the SUV crowd with the X so it's still 1-1 on the Sedan front ;)

LLL
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Post by LLL »

Col Lamb wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:07 pm Thanks for posting the link.

CH is simply awesome.

Do look at the vid guys especially the arming section of the Ludicrous Mode.

Interesting to see if Luke suffers from motion sickness in his S as in the vid the S does seem to float and wallow a lot in the twisties.
Cheers Col :)

No motion sickness to date from neither me or passengers. Not sure if it had to do with that he was driving quite fast on country side roads for some time. To me the car is really rather equal to the Macan with air suspension from that point of view.
Col Lamb
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Post by Col Lamb »

Cheers Luke for the response.
.
Col
Macan Turbo
Air, 20” wheels, ACC, Pano, SurCam, 14w, LEDs, PS+, Int Light Pack, Heated seats and Steering, spare wheel, SC, Privacy glass, PDK gear, SD mirrors, Met Black, rear airbags
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

Thanks for your input Luke, it's great to hear the viewpoint of an actual Tesla owner. I totally agree about the "show" part of the review, it would have been better had they not wasted so much time on irrelevant fluff about battery temps and "Ludicrous" mode etc. But I understand the entertainment value and it was quite amusing all the same. When he actually got to drive the car on the road his comments seemed very honest and I'm glad he went in with an open mind. I got the impression that he was genuinely surprised how good the S was on the road. I think he expected it to fall apart on the handling front and you could see he was really pushing on in an attempt to upset its poise. Probably the main reason for the sea-sickness!

Interesting comparison against a very driver focused 911 too. It's not like they are comparable cars in any meaningful way. A top of the range Panamera would have been a better choice as a direct competitor. But I suppose it was just to show how blindingly quick the Tesla really is in a straight line. Of course the 911 reeled it in eventually, but only at jail bound speeds and only then by completely thrashing the nuts off it in every gear! The Tesla is totally effortless all the way, which is perfect for the sort of GT car it is. When I test drove the X I found it to be a ridiculously quick SUV point-to-point. Traction and sheer acceleration out of slow corners makes even a 911 look very average. Only a twisty road with no straights would allow a 911 to even stay with it. That's more ludicrous than "Ludicrous" mode when you think about it!
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goron59
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Post by goron59 »

Am I the only one who noticed that Harris was only actually happy during that review when he was in the 911?
And that his TopGear handler/producer was the one who really liked the S?
And that the handler actually seemed happier to see Harris happy in the 911?

Yes, Harris was very impressed with the S's effortless straight line performance, but everyone is, right?

I'd quite like to see a review of one (by someone like Harris) that isn't so ludicrous (with a small L) and considerably cheaper. Basically, something like what Peteski's buying.
Used to have 2016 Macan Turbo PHCKCL70
Previously a 2014 Macan Turbo.
Now a 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

Well he did say at the very start that Teslas are really not his thing. If I was looking to buy a focused sports car I wouldn't be considering one either. But when you need a big SUV or saloon in your fleet then Teslas start looking very attractive. You don't really need a "P" model either to get the inherent pros of an EV drivetrain. The base X75D is still putting out the equivalent of around 470 hp with massive instant torque and no clutch or gears to get in the way. It's by far and away the quickest 7-seater SUV I've ever driven.
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

goron59 wrote: Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:49 pm
Yes, Harris was very impressed with the S's effortless straight line performance, but everyone is, right?
He was also pretty impressed with the handling too, which was perhaps much more of a surprise. It's a big practical saloon car at the end of the day, not some weekend play car like the 911R.
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goron59
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Post by goron59 »

Hey, don't feel like you have to justify your choices, I totally get where you're coming from.

I just pondered: "am I the only one who noticed that Harris was only actually happy during that review when he was in the 911?"

And I suppose further, did this review do Tesla any favours, as in would someone consider buying one after watching it (vs any of the thousands of other ones you can watch).
Used to have 2016 Macan Turbo PHCKCL70
Previously a 2014 Macan Turbo.
Now a 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR
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SAC1
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Post by SAC1 »

Steve

2020 GTS in Sapphire Blue
(sold) 2017 SD in Rhodium Silver
Deleted User 1874

Post by Deleted User 1874 »

All I can say is that if I was given the choice of driving a Tesla S or a 911R on a blast around our local roads I would definitely choose the 911. But it's not a car that I can take the family out in for a weekend mountain bike trip. A Tesla X just makes the more mundane driving chores a lot more interesting than say an Audi Q7 or a Volvo XC90. The S is pretty practical too for family usage.

Do I think this review does Tesla any favours? Actually I do. Harris is not exactly an EV fanatic and yet he finds it hard not to be impressed with the Tesla even though it's clearly not his personal thing. You can downplay the importance of straight line accel as much as you like, but in the real world it makes a huge difference to the overall desirability of any car. If it didn't then nobody would buy a Macan Turbo PP for example.
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