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mt2
Member
I guess that officially makes the Roadster a super car? Kim used the phrase twice and never once said "sports car".
I also noticed the only negative he came up with is "a little difficulty in parking".
Congratulations, Martin. Your baby's the belle of the ball.
I also noticed the only negative he came up with is "a little difficulty in parking".
Congratulations, Martin. Your baby's the belle of the ball.
As I read the reviews coming out I was disappointed that writers are not totally and absolutely in love with the Roadster. They should be dedicating reams of paper to gushing praise that would make everyone want to buy one. But this video was even better.
In this piece, Kim's comments showed warmth and even made me choke up a little bit. He kept going on about all the “features” in other beast exotics like noise and vibration. As for the Roadster, there is no trashing the fuel, no bias parsing of EV compromises, just a respectful conversation in where the car's differences have him searching words to describe the coming paradigm.
Overall, what he puts out is acceptance. An open armed "Welcome to the club".
In this piece, Kim's comments showed warmth and even made me choke up a little bit. He kept going on about all the “features” in other beast exotics like noise and vibration. As for the Roadster, there is no trashing the fuel, no bias parsing of EV compromises, just a respectful conversation in where the car's differences have him searching words to describe the coming paradigm.
Overall, what he puts out is acceptance. An open armed "Welcome to the club".
Beyond acceptance, I got a feeling of respect.
I also got the feeling the guy really did his homework on this review.
By the way, my order of preference for the "big 3" magazines was typically
#1: Road & Track
#2: Car & Driver
#3: Motor Trend
So kudos to Motor Trend for (in my opinion) the best review of the 3.
(Perhaps it helped that they got the best weather for their test drives)
Automobile & Auto Week are different sorts of publications so I don't have the same expectations for their reviews.
I also got the feeling the guy really did his homework on this review.
By the way, my order of preference for the "big 3" magazines was typically
#1: Road & Track
#2: Car & Driver
#3: Motor Trend
So kudos to Motor Trend for (in my opinion) the best review of the 3.
(Perhaps it helped that they got the best weather for their test drives)
Automobile & Auto Week are different sorts of publications so I don't have the same expectations for their reviews.
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There are the usual analogies about quick cars... "Shot out of a cannon"... "Explosive acceleration"... Then there are the ones more appropriate for the Tesla where the acceleration is so uneventful yet relentless. His selection of "a trapdoor opened" (like you just start falling) is apropos. When you have a car that performs like that the accelerator pedal isn't so much to request acceleration as it is to select where you want to be. You pick a point off in the distance, and then pick the amount of pedal press to warp you there in an instant. The response is so linear and direct. I bet after a while you learn to do a quick mental calculation of how many feet ahead you want to be in some number of seconds and you could probably modulate the pedal with your eyes closed to get that exact distance. (But please keep your eyes open in case something gets in your way!)
Someone else mentioned a railgun! Not a common experience. Same for MAGLEV. (In any case, with rear-facing passengers and no seatbelts they can't employ high acceleration rates and maintain custom). Hope we don't get into fairground ride territory.
But then how on earth DO you describe the sensation?
Wonder if Darryl has hit on a preferred phrase yet.
But then how on earth DO you describe the sensation?
Wonder if Darryl has hit on a preferred phrase yet.
The way the car doesn't seem to have to work hard to make you go, there is this odd sensation that something else is pulling you into the distance. As if there was a big magnet up ahead yanking you forward.
I am being a bit silly and overemphasizing the point, but I am trying to stress the point that the performance EV driving experience is a bit different from what most ICE drivers are expecting.
I am being a bit silly and overemphasizing the point, but I am trying to stress the point that the performance EV driving experience is a bit different from what most ICE drivers are expecting.
"Hope we don't get into fairground ride territory"
Acutally in my Tesla ride last year I had two analogies. The first was the Superman ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain here in LA (Valencia).
It's not a maglev but a linear synchronous motor which means it's a stepper motor split and it's magnets layed out along the track.
I have been waiting for an official Tesla 0-100 time to compare the two because it looks close. MM's ride does 100 mph in 7 seconds pulling 4.5 Gs.
Has anyone read any G force numbers the Roadster?
Acutally in my Tesla ride last year I had two analogies. The first was the Superman ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain here in LA (Valencia).
It's not a maglev but a linear synchronous motor which means it's a stepper motor split and it's magnets layed out along the track.
I have been waiting for an official Tesla 0-100 time to compare the two because it looks close. MM's ride does 100 mph in 7 seconds pulling 4.5 Gs.
Has anyone read any G force numbers the Roadster?
You (and you car) are already experiencing 1g of downward force as you sit there, due to graviy. The Motor Trend analogy of "opening a trap door" seems appropriate if suddenly you are experiencing approximately 1g of forward force.
Just like the old theories that we couldn't break the sound barrier, (and the earth was flat) people used to think that cars couldn't break 1g acceleration (because you only have 1g of downward force for traction). Dragsters routinely beat 1g now for many reasons including wings to push down more than 1g and tires that glue themselves to the road surface.
I think 1g of sustained forward force might get you to 60mph in about 2 seconds. Since the roadster doesn't have big wings, suction fans, or drag race tires, I suspect it would have trouble keeping traction to do that. 0 to 60 in 3.x is likely right at the limit of the street tire traction capabilities.
Roller coasters that start off with high forward g's tend to have electric motors of pneumatic pistons to directly push them so they are not traction limited.
Some G-force related info here:
g-force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"The record for the highest g force on a roller coaster belongs to Mindbender at Galaxyland Amusement Park, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at 5.2 g. The highest g on a thrill ride can be experienced on Detonator at Thorpe Park, which reaches 5.5 g at the end of the drop by firing riders downwards pneumatically. Fuji Q Highland, an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan, used to operate a shuttle coaster named Moonsault Scramble that subjected riders to 6.2 g in the track's high speed pretzel element. The Texas Tornado reached 6.7 g."
"Aerobatic and fighter pilots may sometimes experience a greyout between 6 and 9 g"
"Formula One drivers usually experience 5 g while braking, 2 g while accelerating, and 4 to 6 g while cornering."
Some example number crunching can be found here:
Falling Lexus Commercial - Topic Powered by eve community
Just like the old theories that we couldn't break the sound barrier, (and the earth was flat) people used to think that cars couldn't break 1g acceleration (because you only have 1g of downward force for traction). Dragsters routinely beat 1g now for many reasons including wings to push down more than 1g and tires that glue themselves to the road surface.
I think 1g of sustained forward force might get you to 60mph in about 2 seconds. Since the roadster doesn't have big wings, suction fans, or drag race tires, I suspect it would have trouble keeping traction to do that. 0 to 60 in 3.x is likely right at the limit of the street tire traction capabilities.
Roller coasters that start off with high forward g's tend to have electric motors of pneumatic pistons to directly push them so they are not traction limited.
Some G-force related info here:
g-force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"The record for the highest g force on a roller coaster belongs to Mindbender at Galaxyland Amusement Park, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at 5.2 g. The highest g on a thrill ride can be experienced on Detonator at Thorpe Park, which reaches 5.5 g at the end of the drop by firing riders downwards pneumatically. Fuji Q Highland, an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan, used to operate a shuttle coaster named Moonsault Scramble that subjected riders to 6.2 g in the track's high speed pretzel element. The Texas Tornado reached 6.7 g."
"Aerobatic and fighter pilots may sometimes experience a greyout between 6 and 9 g"
"Formula One drivers usually experience 5 g while braking, 2 g while accelerating, and 4 to 6 g while cornering."
Some example number crunching can be found here:
Falling Lexus Commercial - Topic Powered by eve community
At some point you cross the line from fun to uncomfortable to dangerous.
The Roadster (as it is now) might even be able to get over that line for some.
Some of those high g roller-coasters leave me dizzy... Not a state I want to be in while driving!
The Roadster (as it is now) might even be able to get over that line for some.
Some of those high g roller-coasters leave me dizzy... Not a state I want to be in while driving!
Actually, 2 seconds 0-60 time means 1.35g.
1g gets you down to 2.7sec 0-60time.
4 seconds 0-60 means 0.68g.
Probably similar limits... around .8g would be my guess.
What is possibly more important is how 'balanced' it is when you break traction. I get the impression that the Roadster is fairly well behaved when you push it a bit past the normal limits.
Having most of the weight in the center of the vehicle helps.
What is possibly more important is how 'balanced' it is when you break traction. I get the impression that the Roadster is fairly well behaved when you push it a bit past the normal limits.
Having most of the weight in the center of the vehicle helps.
