Automotive

After a lot of waiting... The new Tesla Model 3 "HIGHLAND" is out! I think it looks a lot better than my Tesla Model 3! Mine has what I call a platypus front. Full disclosure: I am a Tesla stockholder. ...  

But hate electric cars😉 But I think Elon is a genius, so far ahead of his time.

Elon is definitely a genius. That's a fact. Definition of a genius is to be of exceptional intelligence - usually top 1%. He's definitely up there! But every genius has his good moments and his bad ones! I can only hope that Elon has more good ones than b... 

Elon is sometimes way too far ahead of the times. And that doesn't help him nor society. He is definitely ahead of the times, but he can't be so far ahead that society can't adapt. Small steps! A few years ahead of today is good. But not one or two decade... 

He has visions and is good at selling things, much like Jobs.

Absolutely true! Although Elon has kind of "stolen" the title as Founder now. Much to the original Founder's chagrin. Elon was probably a bully to Martin Eberhard. Nobody knows the full story, but the two are not happy with each other.

however, I like the 3 ever since I first saw it, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Note that I’ve never driven it, but you have previously shared some great insights and opinions based on your hands on experience. Interestingly, I was just reading about Ni... 

The brakes are so bad. And I've never had a car with bad brakes. And I've never had a car with brakes smaller than 13.6" front rotors. My first car was a Mercedes and it had these big Brembo brakes with super aggressive rotors. Second car was a V8 BMW 5 s... 

A Tesla Model 3 Performance has lapped Laguna in an impressive 1:37.566. You could always take a visit to Mountain Pass Performance who will modify your Tesla if you’re not satisfied or alternatively just try to use regenerative braking more effectively. ... 

I've never made major modifications to any of my cars - even the race car was almost entirely stock. So just not used to this idea. But yes, with some modifications, a better rotor that's larger with directional vanes, and wider temperature pads, the Tesl... 

All the Tesla Model 3s that are frequenting Laguna Seca are definitely not on the stock brake rotors nor on the stock pads. Those pads only work in low temperature settings. The pads overheat before the brake fluid overheats! That's how bad the pads are!

Tesla and many other electrics ( & hybrids) use less aggressive braking systems because when driven sanely for best range, the regeneration does much of the work of stopping, leaving the pads and rotors less burdened. On my 2006 Honda Insight, I went over... 

It's not too scary actually! Just none of them do it with stock brakes and stock pads. The Performance Model has bigger brakes and pads as stock and even those guys change them to something even more aggressive. Here's a commercial link (sorry) to what th... 

Like this better than previous generation. I read recently that Tesla is now the second most popular vehicle of any kind in the US, only behind the F 150, which has been the most popular for decades in the US. That’s some crazy growth right there. It also... 

BMWs are a lot of fun to drive! But you have to try electric cars to give them a fair shot. Don't get me wrong. I still miss my V8 BMW 5er. Which was the most luxurious car I ever owned (but was sadly also the most unreliable car I ever owned). I felt the... 

I like my Tesla Model 3 overall. But I do have to say, it's the ugliest car I've ever owned!

What’s $105k today is $75k tomorrow. I mean, it’s not like us here are unfamiliar with differences between list prices and real selling prices, but this is not something that car buyers are used to. How does one buy a new Tesla and reconcile these prices ... 

Honestly, this is actually how the normal car market works too! It's just that Tesla actually changes the MSRP so it's much more visible. At a BMW dealership for instance, they give a bigger discount some months and no discount some months. SO it's just n... 

I get promotions etc but they don’t impact resale values in the same way a cut to msrp does. Or maybe I’m wrong.

BMW doesn't change the MSRP because that would screw up all their residuals. And this does help owners who buy as their values won't be changing as much. But on the other end of the spectrum, Bentley does have a very dynamic price. The price of a Bentley ... 

and it will go on hefty price markdown🤣🤣

by a duck. Not a fully electric car fan but I am an Elon fan.

Yes. I always think Platypus and Duck when I see the front of my Tesla! It is the least attractive car I've ever owned. But it is the most efficient! The new design is so much better.

145 mph in the US 125 mph in Europe No thanks Nein danke Non merci Nee bedankt EU legislation is going berserk

So weird... in USA, there's no place we can drive 145. Not even 125! In Europe, people really need at least 130 mph or higher as a minimum for a sedan car.