Monthly Archives: July 2018

Tesla 3 Performance $76,500, Worth it?

Is this the long awaited Tesla Model 3 Performance?

Tesla Model 3 Performance?

O.K., I’m not really sure it’s been long awaited or even if there is a need for a “Performance” Model 3.

Who really needs a car that can go really fast and get there really quickly when the top speed on most U.S. Highways is 75 MPH and the speed on most surface streets is 30 MPH?

Well, no one actually, but what does need have to do with why many people buy the cars they do? What many car people seem to have in common is the need for speed. Going fast and getting there quickly.

I’ve loved speed since I was a little kid. I used to race my little Honda XR75 most every day during the summer before I outgrew it.

Later after I got my drivers license I learned about understeer firsthand causing my fathers fairly new Mazda RX3  trying to go around a corner but instead it hit the curb in front of me with the front wheels turned damaging the front suspension. Sorry, I meant totaling the car but fortunately no one was hurt. My racing career for the next few years was limited to doing donuts in snow covered parking lots after that.

One thing that is lacking for most people and especially teenagers is professional instruction on how to drive not only a “Performance” car but cars in general. Taking drivers ed in high school if they still offer that never taught anyone how to drive a car this fast. 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. It might not be ludicrous but it sure as hell is insane. If you wonder why Tesla’s are crashing, this is why. Stupid people with a moderate amount of money now have access to super car performance. Yesterday you could buy a Tesla S with insane performance for about $65k used or $85k new but it is a very heavy car that the smart people only tested out the performance on drag strips or highway entrance lanes. A few morons tried it in school zones and most probably got away with it. When you’re doing 105 mph it doesn’t take much to screw up, big time. I was probably only going 35 when I took that corner in my fathers Mazda.

I digress, sorry. Back to is the car worth so much? I was invited to configure my Tesla and here is what I came up with.

Performance

  1. Dual motor all wheel drive $64,000
  2. Performance Upgrade         $ 5,000
  3. Midnight Silver Metallic       $ 1,000
  4. Premium White Interior      $ 1,500
  5. Enhanced Autopilot             $ 5,000
  6. Delivery and Doc Fee          $ 1,000
  7. Sales Tax 8%                         $ 6,120
  8. Tax Rebate                           ($ 7,500)
  9. Total Cost                              $75,120

That is some major coin for something that if you value your Drivers License, Freedom, and the lives of others to pay for a car that can only be properly experienced on a track.

So that brings up some more major questions.

  1. How long will the battery last going around a track?
  2. How long will it sustain peek performance without overheating?
  3. How well do the upgraded brakes perform?
  4. Will there be Superchargers at Race Tracks?
  5. Will the car be a worthy track car for the price?
  6. Will it out perform a BMW M3?
  7. When will Elon let me drive the car around a race track?

I know there will be people with more money than brains who buy this car and have never taken a High Performance Driving class in their lives. There will also be people who take the awesome power they are given and abuse it on the street. I’m amazed with all the Tesla’s out there already that more people haven’t been creamed in intersections or crosswalks with people testing out the acceleration when the light turns green. Maybe they are still texting away or reading their email?

At $76K I’m not rich enough to take the risk to see just how awesome this car can be. In the mean time I will continue to pay about $1k every once in a while to attend High Performance driving schools where I can flog a BMW or Dodge SRT for a day or two on a track in a safe environment. If you lose your license what good is a $75k Super Car?

If my readers would like to help see if the Tesla 3 Performance is a BMW killer you can help sponsor me here. The first place it going is the track.

 

Why people hate Tesla so much, or do they?

The following article linked below explains why the hatred is manufactured by people with a financial interest in seeing Tesla fail. Go figure, their are people who would profit from Tesla’s failure.

The-War-on-Tesla-Musk-and-the-Fight-for-the-Future

What has stopped the U.S. faster acceptance of electric powered vehicles?

Several Factors.

Price.

The cost difference between an EV and an ICE vehicle is still fairly large although narrowing.

Availability.

Not all car companies have an EV and the ones that do may not sell them in all 50 US States let alone the World.

Range Anxiety.

Most people “feel” they need the same range as their gas cars. If they felt the same way about their phones everyone would have a bulky battery case on their phone.

Styling. Most EV’s are subcompact cars with crappy interiors and either all or no modern options. You can either have the version with no cruise control or the one with 7 driver assistance functions.

Charging availability. Only Tesla cares about building a real charging infrastructure. Although most single family home dwellers don’t need to charge elsewhere there are more people who can’t charge at home. Again Tesla understands this.

Profit margins. There is far more to be made selling fully loaded SUV’s and pickup trucks. Just ask Ford.

The United States once again having elected a President that thinks fossil fuels are a badge of success. Figuratively having so much money we can afford to BURN it. Just like in the 1980’s when Ronald Reagan declared that solar panels were stupid in a Country with all the resources and money the US had. Maybe Tesla should build a kick ass Tesla Presidential Limo where its so good the Secret Service wants it.

And Trump wouldn’t have to ride in the same mundane and boring car Obama had. We made this just for you. And it’s special. You will be the first President to ever have one. Better yet, world leader to have one.

The five senses.

Hearing.

People love to hear the noise an engine makes, just search youtube for car sounds.

Sight and touch.

Most EV’s are ugly and use cheap materials.

Smell.

Many people like the smell of high octane fuel in the morning.

Taste.

Some people just don’t have any. Since I don’t think the sense of taste makes a difference i needed to make a homophone joke. 

And I think one of the biggest reasons. They have never driven one. If they had they would be not only cheering for their success but pushing for it as well.

If Tesla can get to the promised price of a $35k EV that is like the current Model 3 base but with the promised smaller battery pack sales will take off faster than one of Elon’s rockets.

Telsa 3, is it worth $60k

As many of you have a read my blog in the past know I’m a big fan of Tesla and Elon Musk.

Many of you may have read that Tesla is on track now to build 5,000 Model 3’s a week or more.

You also know that the Tesla game plan was to work their way down to building a car for the common man. Well, sorry, in my estimation they are no where near that goal, yet.

Apparently Tesla has invited all 500,000 or so people who put down a $1000 deposit to order their car. Remember when they said they would fill orders from the first to last but west coast to east coast? And we all know that right now that even if you don’t configure a single upgrade the car is going to cost $50k before sales tax and tax breaks. For me that would be $46,500 after the sales tax and $7.5k tax rebate.

In reality though once I choose a paint color other than black ($1k), the wheels that aren’t ugly($1.5k), the dual motor option ($4k) and the $5k advanced cruise control (auto-pilot) I’m at $60k is serious coin. O.K. so is $46,000.

This is not a Model S. Which configured about the same way would only be $20k more. Yet a far more useful car. A car that can fit the family for a long cross country trip. A car that gets free supercharging (with referral code). If you can afford $60k why not $80k?

And all this for a car brand that is about as reliable as Cell Phone service was in it’s infancy.

What’s it like to be turning left across traffic and have the the power steering stop working? Ask Marques Brownlee.

What’s it like to be driving along and have your screen go blank? Ask Ben Sullins.

Ben and his wife talk about why you really want this version because it’s the best battery for the buck and how having the most battery you can buy to get the best useful range possible only to say just a few minutes later how it would be great if the car could comfortably fit their family and gear for longer trips.

Like most people I want a Tesla because it doesn’t use gas, oil, spark plugs and mufflers. It eliminates the complexity of an internal combustion engine. The brakes last longer because of regenerative braking. But most of all the promise of autonomous driving.

Yes, I want a Tesla because of the advanced driving aids and potential of autonomous driving. But it’s still not that advanced. Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist isn’t really that advanced by todays standards. Tesla is in the same stage the iPhone was at the beginning when people thought they could use it as a phone. I have no doubt they will get there, one day. Today they are counting on the threshold of pain theory.

Could I change my mind. Maybe if I get inside one and take it for a few test drives. After all, that’s how I ended up married. Also not a financially rational decision. I haven’t been attached to a single car as long as I’ve been attached to my wife though.

Are there other cars worth looking at. More functional, almost as pretty but not quite the trophy wife the Tesla 3 is?

If you’ve read my previous posts you know I’m not a fan of the Bolt. And probably never will be. I don’t fit in it and they will never overcome that obstacle. I’m still a big fan of the Ford Focus EV but Ford isn’t so that could be a problem in the future. I am intrigued by the new Nissan Leaf. A car possibly taking a second look at now that Tesla hasn’t yet met its promise of a $35k car without rebates. When it does and it’s not as stripped as a VW Golf EV S Model whose SEL Model I actually like they might have something.

I hope Elon sells his 400,000 or so reservations the higher priced models. Because that’s what it’s going to take to get to the $35k car. If 300,000 people are waiting for the cheaper car like me, I’m not to sure he will get there. But if a rocket can take off and land safely he might just pull it off.

I’m telling rooting for you Elon. Hopefully you don’t end up like Nicola did.