[ZombiePhysicist]

Did you also buy a Valkyrie?? If so, you're oh for three!

No. Like you I enjoy the design of the Valkrie. However, I wouldn't want that car. I'd never drive it. It's only ostensibly a road car. Looks like pain to drive it. I wouldn't enjoy it. Hope others do, however.

But I see where youre going and to agree with the spirit of your point, I also root for the Jets, Mets and Rutgers football... all bringing us decades upon decades of "grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory", so much so, they are basically synonyms for that. So apparently I have a 'type'.

 

[qvpower]

I mean you're welcome to think that dropping the weight down to a mustang or bwm while keeping the same power train, and a shorter chassis and much more aero makes no difference to any other handling characteristics accept their one trick acceleration pony. It however seems pretty unlikely. Is it going to magically become a McLaren ? No, of course not. Will it be way more fun to drive than a Model S ? I'll wager it will.

Im not disputing it would'nt be faster with even greater performance...especially with the "cold air thrusters" but more cornering and more acceleration beyond a certain point really becomes moot... Any case, I think we should just wait to see when or if it happens... lol Honestly, my predictions are that the roadster if it really gets produced ends up being a super fast car that can go and corner super fast but lacks noise, lacks engagement and the visual excitement all super cars need. Which means its just a way faster accelerating cornering braking model S with less space and a useless yoke that you cant counter steer with...lol That to me is just more of the same and this is coming from a Tesla owner...

 

[qvpower]

Could be worse. You could have sold your TSLA for that founder’s edition $250k deposit ….
[/QUOTE]
Yeah Heard of some people went that route...lol

 

[Roxind]

The roadster, havent heard poop about it, but it will be a limited quantity. I don't even know what the latest rumor is on it, or if there is any rumor on it. It seems more absent than late.

As soon as the car finishes its testing in space and get back to hearth, the production will begin. Or so it seems 🤷‍♂️

 

[alexceres]

Could be worse. You could have sold your TSLA for that founder’s edition $250k deposit ….
Yeah Heard of some people went that route...lol

if only they had known about SLOC … they’d be a couple million richer.

 

[qvpower]

if only they had known about SLOC … they’d be a couple million richer.

its not about the money... its about being in a founders edition... you get to shake hands with Elon... LOL

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

From your unicorns department today, 2 stories!

Tesla Cybertruck is going to be 'waterproof enough' to cross rivers

Elon Musk says that Tesla Cybertruck is going to be “waterproof enough” to cross rivers and serve as a boat for short periods.

electrek.co

The Tesla CEO announced on Twitter today:
Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that aren’t too choppy.

That's right, it can cross calm ocean. Hurricane water damage is a thing of the past with cybertruck!

I NEED this truck in my life so MUCH! It blends. It purées! It's a floor wax. It's an ocean boat! I hear optional unicorn tears coating will protect it from nuclear blasts... And it will be release ANY DAY NOW 🙄.



Not to be outdone, China inc put this out:

China Beats USA In The EV Sports Car Race

Xiaoxíng Paoche will launch a $40k EV sports car next year.

carbuzz.com

Xiaoxíng Paoche will launch a $40k EV sports car next year...Enter the SC-01, which will launch with a claimed curb weight of 2,866 pounds...Production will start late in 2023, but it's unlikely it will be sold in the USA. Not just because it would be a hard sell, but the SC-01's minimalist interior fails to meet the essential safety requirements (a reverse camera) needed to sell a car in the USA.

Sure, while China inc magically solved the battery weight issue putting out a car under 2900lbs powered by what used to be super heavy batteries, they couldn't afford a cheap $5 reverse camera part, which apparently is unobtanium in china. All of this sounds super legit and checks out! 🙄

 

[Roxind]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils prototype humanoid Optimus robot

Musk said the robot will cost “probably” less than $20,000

www.theverge.com

Musk doesn’t give a flying f.ck about the roadster.
This car has done it’s job, and gotten plenty of free advertising for the company.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils prototype humanoid Optimus robot

Musk said the robot will cost “probably” less than $20,000

www.theverge.com

Musk doesn’t give a flying f.ck about the roadster.
This car has done it’s job, and gotten plenty of free advertising for the company.

I really feel for the people that put down deposits. Unlike the $100 cybertruck (did I mention it whips, it's a floor wax, it's boat....), I think the deposits for the roadsters were very sizable (was it $100k?), and so it's complete bs regarding the insanity level delay on the roadster. I'm sure the deposits are refundable, and I wonder what % have kept their deposits down for this long?

 

[lolachampcar]

I'm sure they will eventually follow through with the car if only for the deposits they took. That said, it will be late, out of date and likely an un-loved project.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

I'm sure they will eventually follow through with the car if only for the deposits they took. That said, it will be late, out of date and likely an un-loved project.

They're making NSX development/delivery time seems quick.

 

[alexceres]

I really feel for the people that put down deposits. Unlike the $100 cybertruck (did I mention it whips, it's a floor wax, it's boat....), I think the deposits for the roadsters were very sizable (was it $100k?), and so it's complete bs regarding the insanity level delay on the roadster. I'm sure the deposits are refundable, and I wonder what % have kept their deposits down for this long?

$50k, refundable. Founder’s edition was $250k. A lot of folks cancelled. If you weren’t interested in the founder’s edition, there isn’t any reason to put any deposit down until the car actually launches. It’s not a limited edition. But in addition to the money, I don’t see Tesla having a commitment to making a supercar level of handling and chassis dynamics. Until folks actually drive it, I suspect it’s as likely to be a dodge demon / model S taken to 11 as anything else. Better than any other Tesla ? Almost certainly. But if I wanted a rocket sled, I wouldn’t be buying McLarens.

 

[Firstkill]

$50k, refundable. Founder’s edition was $250k. A lot of folks cancelled. If you weren’t interested in the founder’s edition, there isn’t any reason to put any deposit down until the car actually launches. It’s not a limited edition. But in addition to the money, I don’t see Tesla having a commitment to making a supercar level of handling and chassis dynamics. Until folks actually drive it, I suspect it’s as likely to be a dodge demon / model S taken to 11 as anything else. Better than any other Tesla ? Almost certainly. But if I wanted a rocket sled, I wouldn’t be buying McLarens.

Agreed, but this would be a budget RIMAC as an addition to an ICE car.

 

[sailfly]

From your unicorns department today, 2 stories!

Tesla Cybertruck is going to be 'waterproof enough' to cross rivers

Elon Musk says that Tesla Cybertruck is going to be “waterproof enough” to cross rivers and serve as a boat for short periods.

electrek.co

That's right, it can cross calm ocean. Hurricane water damage is a thing of the past with cybertruck!

I NEED this truck in my life so MUCH! It blends. It purées! It's a floor wax. It's an ocean boat! I hear optional unicorn tears coating will protect it from nuclear blasts... And it will be release ANY DAY NOW 🙄.



Not to be outdone, China inc put this out:

China Beats USA In The EV Sports Car Race

Xiaoxíng Paoche will launch a $40k EV sports car next year.

carbuzz.com

Sure, while China inc magically solved the battery weight issue putting out a car under 2900lbs powered by what used to be super heavy batteries, they couldn't afford a cheap $5 reverse camera part, which apparently is unobtanium in china. All of this sounds super legit and checks out! 🙄

Very Stratos looking design. Looks like the company started out as a tuner shop and now somehow secured talent from other domestic car companies and capital from Xiaomi. Most of the tech will be from Xiaomi and will probably just be a testbed for the stuff they are developing for their own electric cars.

雷军投的小跑车来了：零百加速3.9秒，售价30万以内，明年就交付-36氪

小米全方位支持。

36kr.com

There is also another Chinese electric sports car called the Leapmotor but it is hardly a sportscar. Also not very popular

 

[eMcL]

Tesla fan downforce patent
A vehicle aerodynamic system with dual operating modes to
modify downforce across varying speed ranges and driving
conditions. The system comprises multiple fans positioned
in airflow pathways and deployable skirts that interact with
the ground surface. In a first mode, a complete set of skirts
creates a fully sealed bounded region under the vehicle with
central fans generating maximum downforce at low speeds
on smooth surfaces. In a second mode, a subset of skirts
(primarily side skirts) modifies the bounded region while all
fans operate to provide downforce in dynamic driving
conditions with uneven surfaces. The system includes a
control mechanism to selectively deploy skirts and operate
fans based on driving conditions, optimizing between maxi-
mum downforce at low speeds and improved performance
over varying terrain at higher speeds.

https://ppubs.uspto.gov/api/pdf/downloadPdf/12377920?requestToken=eyJzdWIiOiJiNjM4Y2I1NC1lOGU3LTRmOWYtOTkzMC1mM2JjZWY0MmQ3OWQiLCJ2ZXIiOiJmMzE2Yjc0NC05ZDk4LTQ1OWItODBkMC1mYzU2MWJkZjkyYTYiLCJleHAiOjB9

 

[Truth]

I almost bought the cool-aid back when I bought my Model 3, thank god I didn't. He has continually promised, then got tax and fee free money, they they don't return easily, then make shitty product years after their promised dead lines. My M3 is great, can't argue that, but he is just a ultra-nut case, and liar about the cars and delivery date. But it awesome business tactic... free money on overpromising, then under delivering. But they are done for in the next several years I think.

 

[aorta]

I almost bought the cool-aid back when I bought my Model 3, thank god I didn't. He has continually promised, then got tax and fee free money, they they don't return easily, then make shitty product years after their promised dead lines. My M3 is great, can't argue that, but he is just a ultra-nut case, and liar about the cars and delivery date. But it awesome business tactic... free money on overpromising, then under delivering. But they are done for in the next several years I think.

I understand they are different things…but I can’t think of a single ‘mega-car’ manufacturer that’s been anywhere near their originally stated completion date. That’s millions of dollars upfront just sitting there for years…talk about WAY worse than Musk. $1m-$3m earning nothing for years…in some cases 4-5 years. Now that’s expensive…

AMG-One, Valkyrie, Jesko, CC850, Gemera, T.50 and about half a dozen more…

Whats the point? It’s what businesses do…they overhype and over promise. In Musks case it’s worked…look at Tesla sales from 2012 to 2022…clearly people bought the hype. Fool me once…shame on you..,fool me twice…shame on me. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time…

 

[alexceres]

I understand they are different things…but I can’t think of a single ‘mega-car’ manufacturer that’s been anywhere near their originally stated completion date. That’s millions of dollars upfront just sitting there for years…talk about WAY worse than Musk. $1m-$3m earning nothing for years…in some cases 4-5 years. Now that’s expensive…

AMG-One, Valkyrie, Jesko, CC850, Gemera, T.50 and about half a dozen more…

Whats the point? It’s what businesses do…they overhype and over promise. In Musks case it’s worked…look at Tesla sales from 2012 to 2022…clearly people bought the hype. Fool me once…shame on you..,fool me twice…shame on me. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time…

The difference here is the Jesko,
gemera and T.50 if not many of the others are what they were promised to be. If I could afford to play in that space, and I really wanted one of those, throwing in the interest on that money would just be the cost of business.

Elon isn’t going to live up to his own hype at all. It’ll be a discount Rimac. This talk about “drivers car” is hilarious because it’s the complete antithesis of Tesla’s mission which is to build autopilot taxis.

The suspension and steering and braking in a Tesla doesn’t HAVE to suck ass. But it does. Because they don’t care. They don’t really even want humans to be driving.

the roadster will be a model 3 with some weight savings and other modest improvements. It’ll have fantastic straight line drag performance and otherwise be a one trick pony and largely forgettable driving experience

If you put me behind the wheel of those hypercars “forgettable” is not likely how I’d describe the experience….

 

[TougeSpirit]

I understand they are different things…but I can’t think of a single ‘mega-car’ manufacturer that’s been anywhere near their originally stated completion date. That’s millions of dollars upfront just sitting there for years…talk about WAY worse than Musk. $1m-$3m earning nothing for years…in some cases 4-5 years. Now that’s expensive…

AMG-One, Valkyrie, Jesko, CC850, Gemera, T.50 and about half a dozen more…

Whats the point? It’s what businesses do…they overhype and over promise. In Musks case it’s worked…look at Tesla sales from 2012 to 2022…clearly people bought the hype. Fool me once…shame on you..,fool me twice…shame on me. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time…

T.50 was pretty close if you discount COVID screwing everything. And an actual killer car was delivered. It's been well over 8 years now for the Roadster

 

[lolachampcar]

Was it Maya who said if you listen to people they will tell you exactly who they are?

Anyway, Musk has told us exactly who he is. Idiot Savant or more like Moron Savant comes to mind. He is very capable at driving to a goal and using the startup environment to drive others to participate. Both Tesla and SpaceX are good examples of what he can do when he stays in his lane. However, his Savant side has made him FU money which has enabled his Moron side. X and his involvement with the orange one are but two examples. His private life would likely qualify as well.

So, he has told you who he is. If left unattended and without out gardrails, he will do something like the CyberTruck. Like it our hate it, its well on its way to being a modern Studebaker. It's a complete failure and all because Elon wanted a boxy stainless tonka toy. Neither Franz or anyone else with a shred of taste could stop him. Had he wrapped that driveline in a nondescript F150 looking body Ala the Model S, he would be delivering them as fast as he can build them. But no...

So on to the halo car. I knew when I got the call to take a Plaid over the Plaid+ I had ordered that I'd best take the deal because the + was not going to happen. Sure enough, no + although the brakes did finally arrive when Tesla moved on from Brembo. Tesla no longer needs a halo car to get attention. Christ, sticking a muzzle on Musk would do far more for the company than another straight line rocket halo car. Most have likely come to this conclusion which is what really surprised me about this thread being revived.

On a completely different note, hats off to anyone that goes to Cosworth to get their motors. I built all the XBs and XDs I ran in historic racing. Nice engineering. Nice company and super easy to work with.