Thứ Bảy, 28 tháng 1, 2017

Model S Beta part 1

  • Sep 29, 2011
    TEG
    Apparently, selected press gets their first look at the new Model S beta prototypes starting Friday, September 30, 2011.

    I am starting this post as a place to put information that can be found as it becomes available.
    There will certainly be many news stories coming soon, but things may first start showing up on social media sites.

    There is another thread to cover what customers / forum members see when they go to the factory on October 1st:
    Pictures, videos, and news from the Model S (pre-)event Oct 1, 2011
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  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
    Alpha vs Beta...

    An Alpha:
    lead5-tesla-model-s-development.jpg


    A design studio rendering of a Beta:
    [?IMG]

    I think the most noticeable differences are:

    • The placeholder "nose cone" has been replaced by something more like the design concept car.
    • The headlights and foglights look more like production quality, not cobbled together.
    • Chrome bits around the mirrors and such.
    The interior is likely to be where we see a whole lot of changes now.
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  • Sep 30, 2011
    Doug_G
    I like it! Looks sleek and agressive at the same time.
    �
  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
    This picture had been online for a while, purportedly as an Alpha:
    Tesla-Model-S-Alpha-3.jpg

    But they seem to be using it in the design studio with some updates on the fog-lights in particular:
    [?IMG]

    Also the new rendering seems to have a more shiny/metallic finish on the wheels, which I much prefer over the flat/white 'sandblasted' aluminum look.

    I guess maybe some of the 'photos' we have seen for some months were perhaps Alphas with some beta like 'photoshop' retouching done to them (?)
    �
  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
    Another "Alpha" vs "Beta":
    [?IMG]

    [?IMG]
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  • Sep 30, 2011
    vfx
    No doubt. Wheels changed, building reflections removed, added chrome (from the one in the building) added thing in the front vent (light?), and headight details.

    Best to look at a still from the driving footage with the Roadster. Much harder to do mods on a moving car.
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  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
    I still have mixed feelings about that chrome strip under the doors.
    I was hoping that would go away, and it would be more body color wrapping around under.

    Also have the extension for the rear-view mirrors be in chrome (vs black) seems to be something that has flip-flopped back and forth.
    �
  • Sep 30, 2011
    AnOutsider
    While I didn't like the plain nose cone, the logo on the hood roadster-style gave the car a sportier look
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  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
  • Sep 30, 2011
    dpeilow
    I'm not feeling this new dashboard at all.
    �
  • Sep 30, 2011
    Citizen-T
  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
  • Sep 30, 2011
    TEG
  • Sep 30, 2011
    Citizen-T
  • Oct 1, 2011
    ljbad4life
    I am really liking the dashboard. I am not a fan of really big intrusive center stacks that split the cabin into two halves. They make me feel cramped and the car feels closed in. I'm glad to see Tesla stay close to the design concept. The front trunk looks pretty big.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Zorba
    New universal connector looks sleek :D

    universal.png

    Oh boy, I'n seriously considering going for a Signature. I want this so bad! :love:



    Also very happy their entire site is HTML5, I hate flash :)
    �
  • Oct 1, 2011
    JimmWilks
    Sounds divisive. Personally at the moment I really, really like it. I agree, really nice to see that empty space between the driver and passenger, makes it look so spacious. Also much easier for the clumsy no-doors-opened driver swaps we always find ourselves doing. I much prefer the instrument panel, I didn't really like all that blue that was around before. Looks simpler, cleaner and crisper with the information you'd want to be there(range, numeric speed, nav direction, music/radio display), there. I think overall the interior looks really well integrated, there are no aspects of it that really stand out as though they shouldn't be there as I find there are in most other car interiors. I love the seats and the simplicity of the rear leg space. I think the interior of a car is one of it's most important aspects, along with functionality and practicality. It's why you'd use a car rather than go by bus or train, and makes the most difference to your everyday life when driving as compared with a car that's not so well designed and engineered. From previous pictures I had thought the interior was going to have to be something to grin and bear, but what I see at the moment is great.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Charged_Up
    Can someone please find out whether or not the panorama sun roof will have any kind of interior screen or other mechanism to block sun when desired? where i am in Miami, even a tinted sunroof can be annoying when the sun is bright if there is no shade....

    thanks in advance to all those who are sharing the experience for people like me who weren't able to make the trip ...all looks great so far!
    �
  • Oct 1, 2011
    JimmWilks
    Tesla say here (Model S features) that they have an infrared coating that reduces the solar load transmitted through the glass to 20%, but no mention as to whether there will or will not be a shade or something available for those who leave in really hot places.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    William13
    I love the look. I hope it is as good in person today.

    The dash is very different. I think it is as good as they can do fo 2012 and 2013. I will embrace a good different, which it is.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    gg_got_a_tesla
    Gotta ask - can someone please do that today (probably in the pre-event for sig res holders) - if it's going to be 4G LTE in addition to / instead of 3G/3G+ for connectivity?

    I'm not sure if the Maps GPS will have an 'offline' mode or if it'll all be reliant on an Internet connection but, in Tesla's hometown atleast, 3G performance is very average and definitely unreliable for full-on in-car navigation.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    AnOutsider
    Ditto. Better than the karma, but I'll judge in person tonight
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    gg_got_a_tesla
    Am I seeing things or is the touchscreen crooked and looking towards the driver? Or, can it be moved around to face the passenger (if s/he wants to navigate or surf the Internet etc.)?

    I guess you could already do that with smallish aftermarket GPS units that are mounted on the dash/windshield but, kinda' looks wonky for an in-car system with a screen that big!
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    tdelta1000
    WOW!!!! the refinements to the platform are nice. It looks like TM will cause a stir as the Model S moves toward its final step "Production"!!!!
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    aviators99
    I also noticed that the screen is crooked.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    dsm363
    Wow. A new post every 30 seconds. Will be a busy day.
    I noticed it's tilted towards driver too. Will have to see tonight.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Charged_Up
    Another question for those actually seeing the car - it seems from the new interior picture that the middle armrest/cupholder fixture is pretty far back to provide decent armrest. now it could just be that the seats are all the way forward to maximize the appearance of rear space. But I would be curious if it seems that way to those who actually see the car. but love that they kept a dual cupholder - couldn't live without that!
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    clea
    but if you look from the side view into the interior http://www.teslamotors.com/models/features#/interior it looks like it is straight ahead ... can't wait until the reports are in from tonights visit.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    goyogi
    Not feeling the dashboard. Is that wood? Initial thoughts is that it looks like something from the late 70's with a computer in the middle. I will reserve my final opinion for tomorrow since computer rendered pictures are often poor representations of the real thing. The front seats remind me of my old '72 240z. They were thin but oh so comfy.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Joel
    I agree. Although I can not attend, I believe the interior (more so than the exterior) needs to be viewed in person. Please post your experience of the interior/dashboard.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    rabar10
  • Oct 1, 2011
    doug
    Looks like a faux wood veneer, I think I skimmed somewhere "banana leaf". It does feel rather out of place. My guess is those are exchangeable inserts with a variety of options.
    My guess is the interior is not quite finalized, given the low quality renderings (compared to others we've seen from Tesla).
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Joel
    Good point.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Mycroft
    I'm likewise not thrilled with the look of the dash. It looks like an extra large iPad was just slapped on it.

    That said, I don't know how else they could get that user interface to look any better. I'm more than willing to get used to that look with all the benefits of the UI and the sweetness of the rest of the car!
    �
  • Oct 1, 2011
    GSP
    From Tesla's website:

    "The Banana Leaf option adds a rich look to the interior without the impact of deforestation. This material is the first 100% natural veneer to be made of banana plant trunk fibers."

    Sounds like another "must have" option!

    GSP
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Citizen-T
    I like it. I'd much rather have all the usable space on the screen rather than have it less square. I think it looks great.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    dpeilow
    Amazing that I'm sitting here in sunny ol' England getting updates and pictures. I always knew you Americans could operate cameras :p
    �
  • Oct 1, 2011
    doug
    I guess if you want to shut the kids up in the back, all you have to do is floor it.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    donauker
    Sounds like they may be pretty much immobilized.

    http://www.teslamotors.com/models/features#/interior

    �
  • Oct 1, 2011
    doug
    My original joke mentioned a head-strap. Five-point harness will probably work though.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Tempus
    Wonder how that fits with a normal child seat... Works with/replacement, ect? I know in virginia my daughter was about 8 before she was out of the any child seat. The laws there are more and more restrictive every year. Have to wonder how these fit in.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Mycroft
    Since they're rear-facing and 5-point harness, it sounds like they're safer than a normal child safety seat. They're probably the safest riders in the car unless you're rear-ended by a speeding semi.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    doug
    Interesting point. I doubt they'll have airbags back there.

    Hopefully there will be an option for a camera mounted inside the hatch to keep an eye on the kids. Even better the camera would be facing down when the hatch is open so you can see that nothing is in the way when you close it remotely.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    ljbad4life
    It seems that the touch screen will have a driver biased tilt to it, but it's nothing too crazy like I've seen in other cars where I couldn't even operate the radio if I were the passenger. But it could be bad artist rendering. Looking at the other photos, the screen will not have that big of a tilt maybe 1 degree at the most. Is the touchscreen going use the tech where the driver sees one thing and the passenger sees another (I forget, but I think MB uses this tech in their cars) I've been looking through the design studio and I like the non signature model colors a lot more than the signature.

    Oh and the charge port is in the rear tail light, the part that wraps around to the driver's side of the car and the car turns on if the key is in your pocket and you buckle your (the driver) seatbelt
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    stopcrazypp
    The Jaguar XJ has it, but apparently US spec cars don't have it enabled because it is illegal to show entertainment in the center console according to the NHTSA.
    http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/09/jaguar-xjs-dual-view-infotainment-display-technically-illegal/

    2010 Range Rover also has it, but also not in the US market.
    �
  • Oct 1, 2011
    doug
    I wonder how NHSTA feels about people web browsing then. Hopefully the system has good voice recognition. I've quite happy with the voice recognition on Android phones (of course all the work happens in the cloud).
    �
  • Oct 1, 2011
    doug
    That likely has more to do with getting their paint shop up to speed. They're probably only confident in a limited number of colors to start and the signatures car are coming out first.
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  • Oct 1, 2011
    Mycroft
    They better not block Youtube, that's all I have to say. :D
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  • Oct 2, 2011
    vfx
    Yeah, Edison, George Eastman and all. Though if this event was in Japan....
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  • Oct 3, 2011
    TEG
    You are just too far away! :tongue:

    Do you feel any differently after seeing all the event pictures posted recently.
    By the way, earlier I posted the 'night mode' picture.
    Here is the 'day mode':
    [?IMG]
    (from Model S Features | Tesla Motors )
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Doug_G
    These pictures really don't do it justice. It looks pretty spectacular in person.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Tommy
  • Oct 4, 2011
    ckessel
    People are used to a ton of buttons, knobs, switches, multiple displays, CD/iPod player, etc all as indicators of a decked out interior. All that stuff is rolled into the console functionality which leaves a ton of blank dashboard space. It makes it look spartan, but I'm not sure what you do about that.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    AnOutsider
    I'm no designer, but I'm sure there's something they can do. The prototypes dash was better IMO
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    stopcrazypp
    Here's a reminder of what the prototype interior looked like:

    [?IMG]

    I agree the interior does look a bit spartan without any buttons or knobs.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Tommy
    Yes, but there was only one cup holder in the center, he says with tongue in cheek.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    AnOutsider
    Haha easily rectified I bet. Thanks for posting the pic, it flows SO much better IMO. Maybe it was harder to keep that flow since it couldn't flow to the center console since there isn't a transmission
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Citizen-T
    I think you just like the fact that they rounded off the corners and other edges. It definitely gives it a less intimidating look. Personally, I like my pixels.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    AnOutsider
    That's quite possibly it, but they can retain real estate while prettying up the packaging
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    PopSmith
    I might be in the minority but I think the new (Beta 1) dashboard looks better than the old (Alpha) one. Maybe it is because the dashboard is broken up by the wood, though. It does look a bit barren and unexciting with the touchscreen off but if it's off then the Model S would probably be lacking occupants.

    I find it funny that people (on Facebook, at least) are complaining about the touchscreen. The glare comments are somewhat valid but that one seems very obvious to me as something that Tesla would find ways to prevent it (and test for it as much as possible). As for the lack of knobs, I'd bet that almost everyone looks down to adjust knobs in their current vehicle, even after knowing where they are. If they are worried about getting the screen dirty (etc.) just get a screen protector like almost everyone gets on their smartphones. Those are incredibly cheap and easy to clean and the touchscreen still works!
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Todd Burch
    I much prefer the beta dash to the prototype. Not sure about the wood finish, but you can change it. I do think a lot of it is getting used to the new paradigm of a simplified dash with many less knobs and buttons.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Todd Burch
    It might be because the alpha dash was a lot of exposed wires and metal ;)
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Doug_G
    You're not in a minority; I like the new interior too, and I'm sure many others do. The complainers are usually louder.

    As for glare, I could see that they shielded the console from overhead light. I think you'd have to evaluate it from the driver's seat before coming to any conclusions.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    Citizen-T
    Yea. I was actually wondering if this is one of the reasons that the screen is cocked toward the driver. It seems to me that by doing that you would change the angle at which the sun would glare on the screen. Perhaps making it so that the sun needs to be much lower in the sky than it typically is during the day to cause a real issue.

    It's nowhere near as big, but my wife's Ford Edge has a pretty serious touch screen. It does have the primary controls duplicated in physical buttons, but I find that as a passenger I always use the touchscreen, and as a driver I use the steering wheel controls or the voice control. I'm not concerned about not having physical buttons in the center stack.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    AnOutsider
    I have no issues with the lack of knobs or buttons (well, it could take some getting used to, but it's not a complaint). I have an issue with the "visual impact". The new dash looks much more angular and "plain" to me. The prototype just felt more complete somehow.

    Hey, when they revealed the plain black nosecone on the Alphas there was a similar reaction and they ended up cleaning that up, so I guess we'll see.

    *edit* copy/pasted the beta/prototype dash images to a few people on my skype/AIM list and so far 4/5 random buddies agree the prototype looks better.

    In looking over it though, I realized the prototype has zero in the way of HVAC vents in the center.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    aviators99
    I'm not sure if a screen protector would work, actually. From what I read, the infotainment screen will use IR and not capacitive like smart phones are. This also means that it will work with driving gloves (while your smart phone will not). Anyway, I'm not sure how a screen protector will affect this technology.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    fairlycool
    I'll add to the disappointment of the "interior look" of the Beta. I sat in it a couple of times and while the huge touchscreen is visually appealing everything else around it looks really bad to the point of looking cheap. I wish they had kept the alpha look for the interior. As someone else mentioned it looks very angular and doesnt really do it for me. I'm ok with having no knobs though and if they clean up the look of the dash I might be once again sold. That being said I'm glad they have a "night mode" for the touchscreen since that was another concern I had (that the screen would be too big and bright at night).

    I'm in a wait and watch mode right now. While I love the car and technology, the beta interior just didnt do it for me and the only color I like is the Red which is only available on the signature and not on the Base 160 which I was going to get.
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    AnOutsider
    @fairlycool, you may like the muir red which is a general color. As for the day/night mode, most navs have something like that (triggered manually or by your lights being turned on). My concern is if the apps will follow suit. Nothing like having that rogue app that is bright no matter what on a drive down a dark road one night...
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  • Oct 4, 2011
    ckessel
    The changes from Alpha to Beta on the exterior were pretty good. I loved the prototype and really didn't like the Alpha (lines were too harsh), but the Beta shows the attention given to the exterior. Given they've got to get the stamping and robots geared, focusing on the exterior made sense. If they can make the kind of progress with the interior over the next 6 months that they made with the exterior in the last 6 months then I suspect it'll be pretty nice.
    �
  • Oct 4, 2011
    fairlycool
    @ckessel I hope they do. The interior is where you spend most of your time and like I said the Beta (other than the touchscreen) was pretty meh. I know people are raving about the wood, but I thought it was too shiny and pretty cheap looking. Even the vents looks oddly placed and the whole effect was a little bit of a letdown. I hope you're right though and in 6 months we see a much better interior
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    Cobos
    I loved the look in the pictures of the interiors on the website, but that was a lightly colored interior with the Banana Leaf wood panels. This all black interior from the facebook page I agree looked a lot less refined. For black interiors I agree the alpha/prototype looked a lot better. I'm still guessing some refinement will do wonders even for the black interior.
    Another question for those of you that have been in the betas, where's the storage in the front row. There seems to be no door pockets, I've yet to see the glove box, there just seems to be 2 cup holders and a huge tray in the "transmission tunnel". Where will I put all my junk?

    Cobos
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    tdelta1000
    Cobos, in the photo I've included just look below the screen and would give you an indication of what may come in the form of storage. 20-tesla-model-s-beta-fd-628.jpg
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    malcolm
    That makes me wonder why the two cupholder won't go down there. In the armrest they will be interfere sooner or later.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    NigelM
    Thanks for all of the photos guys.

    I'm having trouble with the visual balance of the Beta dash. There's something that feels a bit retro in the styling and use of shapes which I don't think can be solved by simply swapping in a different skin/theme on the touch pad.

    It feels like a dash from an older vehicle, although I can't quite put my finger on the right decade.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    fairlycool
    There's a good set of pics here (some of which have already been posted around the forum) that help with the feel.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    vfx
    I second that. Something simply doesn't fit. Too many different surface (color, structure). Too many edges. Too many different angles and corners.
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  • 1/1/2015
    guest
    Thats the word I was looking for. The beta interior is very "retro" looking. I'm still high on this brand and the car itself. Hopefully this will not make it in its current state into final production.
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  • 1/1/2015
    guest
    Does have a bit of the old Cadillac feel.

    My only thing the the sharp corners of the screen. It feels unsafe and unfriendly. If they could round the corners I think it would go a long way to softening the computer-y feel.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    AnOutsider
    like the prototype :)

    Prototype also had a softer, more luxurious "look". This dash looks hard, cold and uninviting.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    vfx
    Agreed but I was talking about the screen corners. Ouch.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    WhiteKnight
    benchx-large.jpg

    From my perspective it looks like an older vehicle's dashboard because the front seat could easily be a bench seat! Since the floor is flat and the center console is superfluous we could go back to a time when there were far fewer drive-throughs and people didn't need 16 cup holders. If you wanted something to drink in the car then the girl with the roller skates would put that tray on your window to hold your drinks :smile: !
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    Ardie
    I'll agree that the Model S (beta) dash is an improvement over the Model S (alpha) dash.

    My primary worry is that the gigantic center screen will be either washed out when hit by direct sunlight, or way too bright on a moonless night. I will concede that Tesla engineers are fairly clever folks, and I expect that this has already been considered and minimized. That the entire unit is canted slightly toward the driver shows that they are working on such problems.

    I'll also muse out loud about the center screen whether it would've been better had it been mounted in landscape mode instead of portrait mode, to accentuate the open spaciousness of the cabin. Maybe the rightmost side of the panel would be too difficult for the driver to reach. Maybe such an arrangement would lure a 3rd person to sit up front, which is currently forbidden for some reason.

    As for the banana leaf veneer, I "kind of" like it now, but I think it will grow on me. I know that there have been marketing study after marketing study about wood trim in the cabin, and the results have always been that it is associated with luxury and opulence. Walnut, mahogany, and brazilwood just -oozes- class and comfort. Ask any Gulfstream owner. And I think that the odds might have been fairly high that a plastic dashboard, no matter how it would be colored, textured, or polished, would be considered cheap and classless. And a "wood-alike" plastic trim is only used on the most mediocre of automobiles. The cheesy vinyl stick-on woodgrain exterior on station wagons might be passable for the first six months, but it looks horrible as it ages. Brushed aluminum or stainless steel looks pretty cool nowadays, but it conjures up the sense of stark harshness.

    What would I have done differently? I dunno. Maybe have more places (or tuckaway compartments) to hold the usual automotive bric-a-brac that drivers and passengers have - sunglasses, phone charger cable, garage door opener, FasTrack transponder, etc.

    -- Ardie
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    Cobos
    Thank you Ardie it was the tuckaway compartments I was missing. Usually there are several in the dash and one or two in the door as well. I can't see any on this iteration of the dash.

    Cobos
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    WhiteKnight
    I think we're going to see significant improvements to the interior going forward. The Beta is 90% of what the final product will look like. I think the 10% of changes will all happen on the interior with more cupholders / cubbyholes / places for cell phones, sunglasses, Homelink, etc.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    TEG
    We know they were 'benchmarking' the CLS when figuring out what they wanted the Model S to be like...
    [?IMG]

    I think the interior on the Model S betas looks a bit British. Perhaps a touch of Jaguar, or even Bentley.
    [?IMG]
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    Thumper
    I agree with vfx, the prototype dash integrated the screen more gracefully by slightly rounding the bottom corners. I would like to see that done on the final version. If the screen is not completely integrated into a center console, then I would like to see the open bin under it removed so that front seat passengers can move their feet into that area. I often wish I could move my right foot to the right of the accelerator on long cruise-control trips. If we are to have something in this area at all, then I vote for a full console. Round those bottom corners in either case please.
    My wife and I rode in a beta with the lace wood trim and liked it very much. We expect to select it for our interior if the choices remain as they are.
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    VolkerP
    That means, Peter Rawlinson finished engineering the car way ahead of time and went over to bug the interior design guys. Good thing!
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  • Oct 5, 2011
    TEG
  • Oct 9, 2011
    shark2k
    `
    Like I mentioned in another thread. This article: Tesla Model S test ride and factory tour (video) -- Engadget says that capacitive touch is on the way.

    -Shark2k
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  • Oct 11, 2011
    JRod0802
    Not sure if this is the right place to put this, but it looks like the "Revealing Model S Beta" blog entry has been updated today on the Tesla Motors site:

    Revealing Model S Beta | Blog | Tesla Motors

    It looks like there's more videos, photos, and links to news stories within the entry now.
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