Model S Weekend at Santana Row Video & Photo Links

[Norbert]

Model S in silver (I have a few more shots...post here or in separate thread?)

(Click photo to enlarge)

 

[aviators99]

Model S in gray (I have a few more shots...post here or in separate thread?)

Please post here. I'm leaning towards gray. But are you sure this isn't silver?

 

[AnOutsider]

Is that gray or silver?

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Silver. This was one of the 4 on display over the weekend.

 

[dsm363]

That silver looks great too. Why can't they just make this simple and only have one color I like. I think the Silver in the performance version would look fantastic too with the dark wheels.

 

[mikevbf]

The prototype had 8.9" of clearance, as measured approximately equidistant between the front and rear tire.

The 2012 Subaru Outback ground clearance numbers are coincidentally 8.9" The new Subaru Outback has more clearance than previous years and does an adequate job in the deeper snow and mud ruts during this time of year on the dirt roads. I hope they maintain this clearance as a minimum. I know the air suspension and such can raise it, but that only works at low speeds. Plus wouldn't it be nice to not need it?

 

[Doug_G]

The 2012 Subaru Outback ground clearance numbers are coincidentally 8.9" The new Subaru Outback has more clearance than previous years and does an adequate job in the deeper snow and mud ruts during this time of year on the dirt roads. I hope they maintain this clearance as a minimum. I know the air suspension and such can raise it, but that only works at low speeds. Plus wouldn't it be nice to not need it?

If the snow is that deep, you surely will be driving at low speed anyway!

 

[Norbert]

Please post here. I'm leaning towards gray. But are you sure this isn't silver?

Silver, thanks, fixed it.

 

[AnOutsider]

Silver, thanks, fixed it.

please post!

 

[TEG]

I think they have a silver Model S beta in the Menlo Park showroom right now in case anyone missed seeing one at Santana Row...

 

[Norbert]

please post!

Will post two more tonight, and then more during the week.

 

[engle]

Here's a demo video I made of the Model S Glass Panoramic Roof Open / Close including Touchpanel Operation:

http://youtu.be/bSxfaijLTI4?hd=1

 

[dsm363]

Here's a demo video I made of the Model S Glass Panoramic Roof Open / Close including Touchpanel Operation:

http://youtu.be/bSxfaijLTI4?hd=1

Now that you've seen it in action, do you think it's worth getting? I'm in Texas so would probably really only use it in the winter.

 

[engle]

Now that you've seen it in action, do you think it's worth getting? I'm in Texas so would probably really only use it in the winter.

I love the glass panoramic sunroof -- I also love convertibles. I'm in sunny Northern California, so I'm waiting to see it with the fabric sunshade before I commit to it, because my wife is concerned about extra solar radiation aging her skin (face). (I only drive my ICE convertible top-down when she's not in the car.) Most importantly, I have to make sure my 5' 11" son will have enough headroom in the back seat with the final head rests! If that shade is anything like the one in the 2012 ML 350 bluetec I saw last week, and son's headroom is OK, then I'm definitely ordering with the glass pano roof.

 

[spatterso911]

Now that you've seen it in action, do you think it's worth getting? I'm in Texas so would probably really only use it in the winter.

I'm sold on it. Just as Engle said in the video, if only for the resale value. I'm just really curious to see how the sunshade integrates with it. I don't think that has been shown on any of the betas as of yet.

 

[AnOutsider]

Here's a demo video I made of the Model S Glass Panoramic Roof Open / Close including Touchpanel Operation:

http://youtu.be/bSxfaijLTI4?hd=1

Wow, from that video the roof looks wider than I thought. Almost convertible-like?

 

[engle]

This is the second part of my chat with George Blankenship. I switched to my wife's iPhone 4 after the Sony Bloggie battery died. My camera work is awful, but at least you can hear what George says better on the iPhone:

http://youtu.be/LN52Lfkxc7M?hd=1

Not much here... In the beginning, he's talking to another Tesla employee about which future Model S' to put where in the garage: "white, then the performance, then black interior with red piping". The only questions here are @ 2:05 about increasing max. speed on range estimator to 75 mph; @ 3:10 about high contrast tan - black interior; "I'm about making people smile. The designers and the engineers make the car handle well enough that when I get in it it makes me smile." @ 4:00 about the chrome stripe under the doors. @ 4:40 G.B. mentions the console again. After 6 mins. Franz H. called him on his cell and he had to go to take the call.

 

[onlinespending]

This is the second part of my chat with George Blankenship. I switched to my wife's iPhone 4 after the Sony Bloggie battery died. My camera work is awful, but at least you can hear what George says better on the iPhone

Thanks for asking about the light interior not once, but twice. George definitely shot down the product manager and said it was strictly a choice of design. Obviously they benefit from a supply chain and cost efficiency, so I can't imagine that didn't influence their decision at all. They had certain cost targets and likely tried to come up with a design solution that they were happy with while working within that budget.

 

[Norbert]

Model S silver and interior:

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I think they have a silver Model S beta in the Menlo Park showroom right now in case anyone missed seeing one at Santana Row...

TEG, do you know for sure? I pinged the store manager at Menlo and am waiting to hear back. Would love to check out the Silver at leisure in the less crazy confines of the Menlo Park store.