San Jose Store on Santana Row

[malcolm]

http://www.fastcompany.com/1746853/a...ail-guru-video

"It's designed to be clean, approachable, comfortable and exciting," Blankenship explains

[strider]

Hmm. Yeah, I'm about to head to the Santa Row (San Jose) store for an owner's event. I have to say I'm nervous about Tesla spending bundles of cash on a high-rent store right now when they have a perfectly good showroom 20 minutes away. I think they should have waited until Model S was nearly ready instead of wasting 1.5 years of high $$ rent.

[SByer]

Just got back (kinda wished they had everyone have name tags!). The store is nice, friendly - it's an interesting spot. The new color assembly displays are a great, tactile way of checking out 'your Roadster'. The two configurator displays right there let you swipe when done (big forty-x inch touch displays) and send the configured view to the huge plasma display at the front podium - very cool and slightly exhibitionist.

I got the biggest kick out of how one of the employees very quickly assembled the colors she had clearly very well considered. It is a car that kinda gets under your skin in that way, doesn't it?

Oh, and having Santana Row lined with a lot of Roadsters - all cleaned up as far as I could tell (my back is still a little sore from this weekend) - was very, very cool.

[bonnie1194]

Just got back (kinda wished they had everyone have name tags!). The store is nice, friendly - it's an interesting spot. The new color assembly displays are a great, tactile way of checking out 'your Roadster'. The two configurator displays right there let you swipe when done (big forty-x inch touch displays) and send the configured view to the huge plasma display at the front podium - very cool and slightly exhibitionist.

I got the biggest kick out of how one of the employees very quickly assembled the colors she had clearly very well considered. It is a car that kinda gets under your skin in that way, doesn't it?

Oh, and having Santana Row lined with a lot of Roadsters - all cleaned up as far as I could tell (my back is still a little sore from this weekend) - was very, very cool.

Thanks for the update - I couldn't make it tonight, but will probably be out for dinner at Santana Row this Saturday evening & will drop in to see the new store.

[strider]

Yep, I do wish they had given out name tags - I haven't met anyone from here in person yet.

The store is nice and I understand they're trying to build brand awareness but IMO I think most people that stop in and see the only offering is a car that only the top 1% of people can afford will put them off. If Tesla waited until Model S was here they'd have an offering to show that would be attainable for a lot more people.

[3lectronica]

Yep, I do wish they had given out name tags - I haven't met anyone from here in person yet.

The store is nice and I understand they're trying to build brand awareness but IMO I think most people that stop in and see the only offering is a car that only the top 1% of people can afford will put them off. If Tesla waited until Model S was here they'd have an offering to show that would be attainable for a lot more people.

to each their own. I kept visiting this jewelry store at my local mall to look at a Bell & Ross watch that I always wanted. One day, I finally bought it. The same will happen with a Roadster or two. Can't imagine what it will be like with Model S... they will be selling several per day!

[vfx]

The new one:
Video on it here:
Tesla Gears Up for Lower-Priced Model S - MarketWatch Video

[goyogi]

I never noticed but the Santana Row store has a Volta casting above the store. Quite lucky!

[goyogi]

Sorry for the small picture but you can see it much better on google maps street view.

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I never noticed but the Santana Row store has a Volta casting above the store. Quite lucky!

What's the significance/history there? Pray explain.

This could be coincidence: Alessandro Volta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - the inventor of the first battery (after whom the unit - and car - are named)