Generations....

[NigelM]

So the Model S finished up in Sarasota today and it sounds like it's on its way to the museum in California now. But we had to get a shot of a 1.5, a 2.5, a Sport and the Model S together:

[NigelM]

Also, my wife wants the Candy Red so I wanted to make sure that the color will look good alongside my Roadster:

[roblab]

Also, my wife wants the Candy Red so I wanted to make sure that the color will look good alongside my Roaster.

And I thought MY wife was anal about colors! I have to get a Model S that goes with her Prius, it has been decreed.

[7racer]

great pics!

Nigel,
what did you think about the panoramic roof? I have a similar one in my VA but there is a retractable mesh screen that blocks out the sun on hot days. Anything like that in the S?

[NigelM]

I love it. According to the Q & A on 7-21, Jerome Guillen said this when asked about available options for hot weather:

"Additionally, we have superior glass on Model S where needed: the Panoramic Roof, for example, will have an innovative infrared coating, reducing incoming solar load to 20% (for similar sedans, this is typically 50%)."

I would like to see a mesh screen or something similar for those really hot days. It would be really cool (no pun intended!) if they did something like the Mercedes Magic Sky Now, that is something I would be happy to pay extra for!

We used to have a Mercedes B-Class in Germany that had a great panoramic "concertina" (Lamellendach in German) style roof and at one time talking to Tesla they asked me how it would be on the Model S. We all know there's been plenty of design change since the prototype so who knows what it will finally look like; here's a couple of the Mercedes pics which are not panoramic but give you the idea of how it works:

[Larry Chanin]

I love it. According to the Q & A on 7-21, Jerome Guillen said this when asked about available options for hot weather:



I would like to see a mesh screen or something similar for those really hot days. It would be really cool (no pun intended!) if they did something like the Mercedes Magic Sky Now, that is something I would be happy to pay extra for!

We used to have a Mercedes B-Class in Germany that had a great panoramic "concertina" (Lamellendach in German) style roof and at one time talking to Tesla they asked me how it would be on the Model S. We all know there's been plenty of design change since the prototype so who knows what it will finally look like; here's a couple of the Mercedes pics which are not panoramic but give you the idea of how it works:

Hi Nigel,

When I inspected the panoramic roof on the old prototype I noticed some damage on the glass caused by the sliding of the sunroof mechanism. I wonder whether the production version will have the same problem.

In the attachment above I've attempted to highlight the area of concern.

My wife loved the color of the prototype, and so did I, but when I discussed it with Will Nicholas from Tesla he wasn't sure if it was going to be available on the non-signature models.

Larry

[NigelM]

That's because the prototype has a 12 stage paint job, so it's not going to look the same on a standard 3 stage metallic paint job.

[Doug_G]

Nicholas from Tesla

Great name for a Tesla employee.

I wouldn't worry about the glass; the prototype was, well, a prototype. None of the mechanical systems were representative of the final product. It only "looks" like a Model S.

[Larry Chanin]

I wouldn't worry about the glass; the prototype was, well, a prototype. None of the mechanical systems were representative of the final product. It only "looks" like a Model S.

Hi Doug,

Thanks for the response.

I do love the look of the panoramic roof, call me a worry-wort but I live in a hot climate. Even with the glass treated to minimize incoming solar load, won't it still put greater demands on the air conditioning, and therefore the battery range?

Larry

[Doug_G]

I do love the look of the panoramic roof, call me a worry-wort but I live in a hot climate. Even with the glass treated to minimize incoming solar load, won't it still put greater demands on the air conditioning, and therefore the battery range?

In my experience with the Roadster, the air conditioning load is inconsequential. The power required by auxiliary systems is small compared to that required to move the vehicle.

The additional window area probably does increase the heat load, but all cars are portable greenhouses, so the extra glass area is incremental. If there is some kind of treatment on the window glass and pano roof I'm sure you're ahead of the game.