For Immediate Release -Lightning Unveiling LS-218

[louemc]

So is saying it isn't.

Isn'ts aren't buyers...Is's are If they put their money where their mouth is, buyers.

 

[Archimedes]

I've driven the top of the line Model S and I felt it was exactly opposite. Great handling, extremely quick, it went when I wanted it to.. and fast. It was the P85 though, and not all Tesla's are P85s. I mean I hit the "gas" pedal and it put everyones heads on the head rests.

So do all of it's competition in that price range, most of which cost $10-15k less. The people that are blown away by the Tesla performance are people who've never driven a really fast sports sedan/car. It's fast, but it's not ground breakingly fast by any stretch. And I've yet to see/read a single review that said it's handling was 'great'. Even on the skidpad, it's good, but tied for the worst of the group it's usually compared against.

 

[cleverusername]

you're just going to have to drive it. makes the fastest responding ICE (think honda race engine with ITBs) seem like it has turbo lag compared to the responsiveness of an electric. that's hyperbole, but the lag becomes readily aparent once you drive a regular car again.

at this point, i'm getting the feeling you haven't driven any of those cars except on paper.

btw, i'm especially jaded with cars. very hipster, i know. but i've tuned my own FI race motor that runs on alternative fuel, wafted about in uber luxury land yachts, and that tesla was the first time in a long time i was actually surprised by a car. the differences are not just skin deep. if i was shopping in that price range, i would give exactly 0 shits about the better value that porsche or whoever was throwing my way.

now compared to a motorcycle, even the most electrifying car in the world does not compare, but i digress. but even better than the pun - there is an electric moto, and it's already crushing the greatest performance ICE bikes available. once the logistics catches up (as in energy storage, speed of charging, convenience of charging, etc) it's game over for combustion engines.

 

[MCCRASH]

I know quite a few guys -- engineers of various stripes -- who don't really care about the gas mileage aspect of the Tesla (and two of them, in fact, can provide a technical exposition into the exact carbon cost of manufacture of the Tesla battery). They bought it because it integrates a lot of cool technology into a well-designed package. Same goes for the Volt, but on a more budget buyer level. Folks be lovin' that tech. Which is why this bike will find some buyers, even if it is not as fast and nimble as an S1000RR.

 

[msethhunter]

The thing weighs almost 500lbs! Nah. Keep working on that weight though. When you get it on par with a gassed up liter bike.....

 

[greener]

....or they could just do what tesla did and put out a car that is sold in ultra low volumes, then pander to the government for subsidies and helper money to further the business of battery powered vehicles. i mean, someone's gotta get rich off of all that lithium mined in afghanistan right?

Take your misinformed trolling to the Political forum, this thread is about an electric motorcycle

 

[kelsodeez]

Take your misinformed trolling to the Political forum, this thread is about an electric motorcycle

haha im not trying to make anything political or trolling. i am just saying that a very real outcome to their price-point is that its going to be an awesome bike that they wont sell a ton of and might look to the government for help.

 

[Archimedes]

you're just going to have to drive it. makes the fastest responding ICE (think honda race engine with ITBs) seem like it has turbo lag compared to the responsiveness of an electric. that's hyperbole, but the lag becomes readily aparent once you drive a regular car again.

at this point, i'm getting the feeling you haven't driven any of those cars except on paper.

Actually I've driven one of the three oft quoted competitors (the other two I have no interest in) and I've also driven a number of sub 4 second 0-60 cars, including one that runs well below, but that's beside the point. The data and reviews are all out there for all to see.

Regarding never driving a regular car again, I still don't understand how the Tesla is so amazingly fast compared to those 'regular' cars, when it's no faster than them 0-60 or in the quarter mile? Are you raving about the fact that it's faster in the first 60 feet, but then gives all that back the rest of the way? If my car is a tick faster to 60 and in the quarter, are you saying I'll be more impressed by the slower Tesla?

Again, not knocking the car at all. Just questioning 'the OMG it's amayzazing' review drivel.

 

[sckego]

Actually I've driven one of the three oft quoted competitors (the other two I have no interest in) and I've also driven a number of sub 4 second 0-60 cars, including one that runs well below, but that's beside the point. The data and reviews are all out there for all to see.

Regarding never driving a regular car again, I still don't understand how the Tesla is so amazingly fast compared to those 'regular' cars, when it's no faster than them 0-60 or in the quarter mile? Are you raving about the fact that it's faster in the first 60 feet, but then gives all that back the rest of the way? If my car is a tick faster to 60 and in the quarter, are you saying I'll be more impressed by the slower Tesla?

Again, not knocking the car at all. Just questioning 'the OMG it's amayzazing' review drivel.

In an automatic, no matter how advanced or performance-oriented it is, there is a lag between when you put your foot down and when the acceleration begins. The car has to drop from its cruising gear into a lower gear, and bring the revs up into the powerband. On a really good car, it won't seem like much of a delay, but it's there, and it's really noticeable once you experience something with zero delay.

You can acheive this in a manual by leaving it in a low gear so that you're in the powerband all the time, and full power available immediately, but then you're just the automotive equivalent of the jackass squid who rides his Gixxer 600 around at 14k, pissing everyone else off.

In a performance electric vehicle, you can be cruising along at 40mph in complete calm silence, and yet have full power on tap right under your foot, instantly. It's really unlike anything else. The numbers do not come close to telling the whole story, and unless you've driven one (if you were interested, why haven't you? It's not at all difficult to get a test drive) you really don't have any basis for comparison.

Also, the standard suspension on the S is set up more for a luxury ride quality than outright handling (I suspect relatively few potential buyers care about how it handles at the extreme limits). If you'received interested in all-out performance, check out the P85+ with upgraded suspension goodies. A bit stiffer ride, but with huge leaps in cornering performance.

 

[MikeL]

So do all of it's competition in that price range, most of which cost $10-15k less. The people that are blown away by the Tesla performance are people who've never driven a really fast sports sedan/car. It's fast, but it's not ground breakingly fast by any stretch. And I've yet to see/read a single review that said it's handling was 'great'. Even on the skidpad, it's good, but tied for the worst of the group it's usually compared against.

I've never driven a really fast sports sedan/car. So..