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I test drove a Tesla

wilshipley.com

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Re: I test drove a Tesla

#21

Post by axod »

cbrinker wrote: post #19

I love my 335i coupe, but I think I would trade it for a Tesla in a heartbeat. I am so excited that a company is embracing alternative fuels (electricity especially) in aims of making a supercar. Gear shifting slows down a vehicle, regardless of how fast it is, since you're disconnecting the engine from the powertrain. It also is another thing you have to bother with while driving.

"It also is another thing you have to bother with while driving."

It still surprises me how few manuals you see in the US, It's as if people aren't interested in driving + getting the most out of the car. If you don't enjoy driving, why not get a driver. If you enjoy driving, you want a manual.

Nothing worse than speeding up an on-ramp, and the car refusing to budge out of 2nd.

Re: I test drove a Tesla

#22

Post by tlrobinson »

menloparkbum wrote: post #13
jonny_noog wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, he did say: "The Tesla I drove was an engineering prototype but is said to be very close to the one I'll get next year." So I guess he's getting a 2009 model or something.

In an another post he mentions getting on the Tesla waiting list, quite some time ago. So long ago I can't be bothered to dig it up out of the archives.

At TED a year and a half ago: http://wilshipley.com/blog/2007/03/ted2007-days-3-4.html

Re: I test drove a Tesla

#23

Post by tlrobinson »

jamongkad wrote: post #8
jasonlbaptiste wrote: post #5

Let's also give Wil tons of credit. No VC it seems and a great piece of software with delicious monster.

I'm surprised he can even afford a Lotus Elise. But do you think he was able to afford those cars by Delicious MOnster alone? Or were they a purchase from his earnings at Omni?

He's done quite well. Delicious Library has sold ridiculously well, and Wil still owns a large portion of Omni, I believe.

Re: I test drove a Tesla

#24

Post by dzorz »

cbrinker wrote: post #19

I love my 335i coupe, but I think I would trade it for a Tesla in a heartbeat. I am so excited that a company is embracing alternative fuels (electricity especially) in aims of making a supercar. Gear shifting slows down a vehicle, regardless of how fast it is, since you're disconnecting the engine from the powertrain. It also is another thing you have to bother with while driving.

I love my 1991 Golf "coupe", but I think I would trade it for a Tesla in a heartbeat. I am so excited that a...

Re: I test drove a Tesla

#26

Post by nazgulnarsil »

PStamatiou wrote: post #17

As a car nut that has spent time on a race track (exhibit a: http://flickr.com/photos/pauls/sets/72157594286920410/ ) in various sports cars, I see a strong dichotomy between Tesla owners/gawkers and real car guys. Yeah the Tesla accelerates faster than most people will have ever experienced before and it's neat with its whole 1 gear thing, instant torque and of course being all electric. But it will be the laughing…

you don't have to be a track guy to be a car guy. some people genuinely enjoy cars that are terrible track performers.

Re: I test drove a Tesla

#27

Post by vaksel »

corentin wrote: post #18
vaksel wrote: post #16

The whole quiet thing creeps me out about the Tesla. Its a sports car you are supposed to hear the engine roar. + the whole quiet thing greatly increases your chances of some soccer mom side swiping you

So I assume smug geeks are immune against bad driving?

when a guy crashes its because he is in the process of doing something stupid. When a woman crashes its because she isn't paying attention.

Women are just horrible drivers from my experience. I've been hit 5 times and members of my family were hit 3 times. In ALL but one cases the other person was a woman. And that doesn't count the hundreds of times I had to scramble to get out of the way because some woman suddenly decided that she liked my lane better

1-side swipe w/o her using any turn signals. Usually not a problem since I'm used to this, but this one was dodging rear ending another car

2-sitting at a red light and the woman thought the light turned green, caused about 4 grand in damage(she must have had the pedal to the metal)

3-entering driveway and the woman thought my turn signal was flashing the other way, so she decided to pass on a shoulder and t-boned me as I was entering

4-t-bone in a parking lot because the woman decided to look back at her kids and hit gas instead of brakes

5-rear end at a red light because the woman thought I'd run the red light and didn't

6/7-2 major hits at a parking lot because the woman didn't slow down enough entering the space

the one time I got hit by a guy it was when we were both pushing the limit at the racetrack, and was due to him understeering.

Until I modified my car's exhaust I had to avoid careless women almost daily. Now that they can actually hear me thats been cut down to once a week. An aftermarket exhaust is the best investment you can make to avoid major repairs to your car.

Re: I test drove a Tesla

#28

Post by a-priori »

vaksel wrote: post #27
corentin wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So I assume smug geeks are immune against bad driving?

when a guy crashes its because he is in the process of doing something stupid. When a woman crashes its because she isn't paying attention. Women are just horrible drivers from my experience. I've been hit 5 times and members of my family were hit 3 times. In ALL but one cases the other person was a woman. And that doesn't count the hundreds of times I had to scramble to get out of the way because some woman suddenly…

I don't drive, but when I'm out cycling -- and I do a lot of cycling (something like 900km this summer) -- I behave like a car on the roads. I've never been hit myself, but I've had many close calls:

1) About two months back I saw a girl on a bike get hit by a guy who "didn't see her" because, as he claims, he was watching me (I was about 10m back). He was on a minor street crossing a major street. We were on the major street, and she got hit side-on. She was fine, by the way, just scrapes on her legs and hands (a doctor happened to be nearby, and he checked her over).

2) I almost got sideswiped by a guy turning right off a minor highway. Had to pull on the brakes and swerve left into the lane to avoid him. Thankfully there were no cars there.

3) As I was stopping at a stoplight, a pickup truck pulled up behind me. The guy inside apparently didn't like how far from the curb I was. He stuck his head out the window, swearing about how he's going to run me over. I yell back, tell him to mind his own business, then make a quick right turn to avoid him.

I could go on. In fact, of all the times I've gotten a look at the driver, it was a woman driver very few times. To use a word I saw here recently, my anecdata contradicts your anecdata.

Re: I test drove a Tesla

#30

Post by DabAsteroid »

jonny_noog wrote: post #12
there wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a lotus elise isn't that expensive a car; brand new they're only about $45-50k. my lotus exige was only $57k new. though the tesla roadster, while initially based on the lotus elise chassis and body, is about double the price of an elise. i'd be more surprised if he was actually able to find one for sale since i thought all 2008 models were spoken for. though i don't think his article actually said he was buying one,…

Well, he did say: "The Tesla I drove was an engineering prototype but is said to be very close to the one I'll get next year." So I guess he's getting a 2009 model or something.

The 2008's are being delivered in 2009 because Tesla is so far behind schedule.
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