Thoughts on the new Tesla Roadster
#91
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^^^ No one is hating, the point being made is heavy cars can handle OK for short periods - at the end of the day weight + physics overwhelm the tires even after a relatively short period of time. The reality is Tesla and the Elon fan club choose to selectively play the numbers games e.g. 0-60, fastest car in the world etc.
However, when tested in a performance context they are found wanting e.g. Car and Driver. In the latter instance Car and Driver were heavily criticised for not running the S in its Lightning Lap series - so in the end they did and the outcome was poor. All of this was entirely predictable (heavy cars are never good round a circuit and EVs have to pull a massive current to move so much weight at track speeds) - needless to say this caused a Tesla fan club melt down.
However, when tested in a performance context they are found wanting e.g. Car and Driver. In the latter instance Car and Driver were heavily criticised for not running the S in its Lightning Lap series - so in the end they did and the outcome was poor. All of this was entirely predictable (heavy cars are never good round a circuit and EVs have to pull a massive current to move so much weight at track speeds) - needless to say this caused a Tesla fan club melt down.
I'm not seeing a lot of front-end open area for cooling on the Roadster, so I'm not feeling confident the Roadster would last more than a few minutes on a road course before derating the power. The ability to cool the battery also determines how fast it can be charged.
#92
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Fan boy. that's funny. But you can't deny the company took on a huge challenge and largely delivered. I was just pointing out that everyone wasn't really giving Tesla a fair shake- they keep delivering on building interesting products, even if they're often late. I'm just as curious as the next person to see if they'll survive long enough to build this new roadster but I suspect they will.
For those that keep saying that the jump to 60 in a model S is silent or quiet, have clearly never ridden in one. The couple of times I've done a ludicrous mode launch was pretty violent. No exhaust noise but a lot of electric motor whine, and tire noise, and just massive locomotive-like acceleration. I wouldn't call it quiet. yeah maybe I'm exaggerating the cornering capability but Model S, for it's size and mission, corners pretty well, and I suspect a purpose built second generation sports car will also do well in its class. To be fair, I did point out the problem with running on the track with a tesla by the way.
as a car enthusiast I'm very impressed with the cars and the engineering that goes into them.
For those that keep saying that the jump to 60 in a model S is silent or quiet, have clearly never ridden in one. The couple of times I've done a ludicrous mode launch was pretty violent. No exhaust noise but a lot of electric motor whine, and tire noise, and just massive locomotive-like acceleration. I wouldn't call it quiet. yeah maybe I'm exaggerating the cornering capability but Model S, for it's size and mission, corners pretty well, and I suspect a purpose built second generation sports car will also do well in its class. To be fair, I did point out the problem with running on the track with a tesla by the way.
as a car enthusiast I'm very impressed with the cars and the engineering that goes into them.
#93
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Thus, you can't take mass out of the equation either figuratively or literally
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In the most simplistic sense, heavy cars end up putting large amounts of heat in to the tires, which in turn over heat and eat themselves. As they heat, beyond a certain point the coefficient of friction decreases at the contact patch and boom game over - this occurs as a function of braking and turning.
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I did enjoy you line on animists
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#94
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All things being equal, weight is a disadvantage with respect to acceleration, braking, and handling. F=MA.