I wasn't sure what to make of it at first - Looks good (although a bit like a big Citroen..not necessarily a bad thing?). Dashboard - there are two buttons, one for the hazard lights and one for the glovebox. The rest of the car is controlled from a Touch Screen in the centre console that's the size of two iPads stacked on top of eachother in landscape.

The instrument binnacle itself is also a screen as is de-rigeur for luxury cars now.

Did I LIKE the dash? Well the instruments look great. I'm not taken by the console however. It loses any aesthetic that can be gained from buttons and knobs. It also means nothing can be done without taking ones eyes off the road - which I think is more of a concern.

It was VERY well executed, though.

The design highlight for me are the exterior door handles - they're flush into the door until the car is unlocked, then they pop out and look like proper chrome grab handles. Grab it, however, and rather than a pull, it's a touch-activated solenoid, and the door pops open.

Then I was taken for a drive in it.

The P85 denotes that it's the 85kW Performance version (there is also a 65kW and 'standard' 85kW). It's 414bhp and 460lb/ft from two electric motors (no ic range extender on this) - powering the rear wheels.

I can't liken the experience to any car I've ever been in - what it has taught me is that due to the delivery of the power in an ev, the power figures cannot hint at the performance in the same way as an ic engine.

It pulled harder than anything I've ever experienced - 430's, 63AMG, even the Atom I drove - It's just one relentless, linear shove and I don't think anything else will ever feel fast again. I can only liken it to a rollercoaster - quite remarkable.

Handling wise, it weighs 2 tonnes, but most of the weight is spread under the floor, so it's low down and evenly balanced.

If this is the future, it's not actually as dire as it may seem.

Oh yeah and it'll do 300 miles on a charge. *yawn*.

I also had a poke around an i3 - which is like a modern A2 and was quite nice.

 

Interesting to read this. I imagine that much of the car will work with voice control (and as it's very quiet, it might actually work!)

Pretty much all the power is available from a standstill, hence the performance.

I wonder how that 300 mile range is achieved and how much it's reduced if you really use all the power.

 

Did it feel like a cruel trick being in an electric vehicle that worked?

 

Someone near to me has one of the Elise based ones

The torque is impressive from electric, gives at least the sensation of speed.

Not seen one but then I'm not sure I'd notice, pretty anonymous styling

 

Not something i'd ever buy though with a lottery win.
I just don't get it, whatever "it" may be.

Give me a big V8/10/12 any day.

In two generations time though, people may think differently.

 

I liked Henrik Fisker's re-skin of the 6er and his Astons! Not that bland...

I'd like to try a Tesla, much for the reasons Keith lists. They are compelling in many areas, even if the milk float technology still is unacceptable.

I know some parts of the trim are shonky and the ubiquitous touch screen controls are a fad of trendy 'know less that the well-experienced have forgotten' types, but it's a great attempt at a new brand and might possibly be a step toward the future.

 

One of these?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10...re_price_hurt/

The whole touchscreen thing is a nonsense really; if an electric car ought to be anything it's simple. It seems to me they're wasting time on things that don't matter very much.

 

much like this

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWy8q-N8MQM[/media]

except this is sadder. they reckon that molten tesla had crashed dont they?

 

Hit crap lying in the road & it punctured a battery, Concorde-stylee.

Isn't Tesla still in adminstration?

 

Yes it has voice control - the chap was telling me it's calibrated for American accents only at the moment and thus is laughable. Ask for "Rolling Stones" in "Briddish!" accent and it doesn't work, put on a yank tone and it does. That'll change (it's an american car registered in germany, after all).

The performance - nail on head. It's totally linear so the surge is the same whatever pace you're travelling at. Feels very strange, and deeply impressive.

Longevity of battery - again you're quite right, drive it fast you'll get 100 miles. Drive at 55 you'll get 300.

Interestingly, the chap who was showing me the car previously ran Nitron.