[Steverino]

The secret to how Tesla gets its cars to look so good: Designer Franz von Holzhausen

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-...he-budding-superstar-back-in-the-late-2000s-1

I wonder is GM looks at the new Tesla Roadster supercar and worries if it could come down-market and challenge the Corvette?

 

[VoltenRock]

Great article--very interesting, if not a little too highly promoted. He and Musk deserves credit for making EVs "cool" and probably did more for EV marketing than any other manufacturer. They have also done an amazing job of maintaining a brand consistency among their, admittedly small number, of vehicles.

I don't share the same fondness for the Model 3 in terms of its "style"--at least based on the photos.

I might feel different in person, but it looks frumpy too me, with a too small nose and bloated cabin. Again, completely subjective. I'm clearly in the minority.

 

[Mister Dave]

I become a bit dubious on an article when early on it says:

Tesla is the first new car maker to emerge in decades

Look into Henry Fisker. His company may have collapsed and been bought, but he's on to a new company - VLF. I think that makes 2 new companies. And those are just the ones he was/is involved in as a partner/owner.

Fisker has a bit of a higher end history, though I do very much like Franz von Holzhausen's Pontiac Solstice. Von Holzhausen's Volkswagen and Mazda stuff, not as much. And let's be honest, model X and 3 are really just design clones with different proportions. The new roadster is very sweet, but still really does steal a lot of lines from Lotus.

And I think it's been discussed before that Teslas are 4-door DB9 rip-offs.

Let's just say Von Holzhausen "borrowed" a lot from Aston Martin. Oh wait! The DB9 was Henry Fisker's design wasn't it?

 

[Fyodor]

The secret to how Tesla gets its cars to look so good: Designer Franz von Holzhausen...

I was talking cars with a prominent local Italian businessman not too long ago, particularly his gorgeous blue Maserati Quattroporte. He told me the only thing that annoys him about the car is having people ask him if it's a Tesla.

When I see a Tesla I see bits of Jag, bits of Ford, some of that Maserati, in all a sort of generic posh Euro car circa 2010. It's a good looking car but not that original.

 

[Mister Dave]

I was talking cars with a prominent local Italian businessman not too long ago, particularly his gorgeous blue Maserati Quattroporte. He told me the only thing that annoys him about the car is having people ask him if it's a Tesla.

Eh, not seeing it much. Maybe in the quarters. Kinda hard to miss that Maserati badge though unless you don't know what a Maserati is.

When I see a Tesla I see bits of Jag, bits of Ford, some of that Maserati, in all a sort of generic posh Euro car circa 2010. It's a good looking car but not that original.

I used to think Jag too (and Ford which I thought was a Jag rip-off), until someone pointed out the Aston Martin resemblance.

 

[Fyodor]

Eh, not seeing it much. Maybe in the quarters. Kinda hard to miss that Maserati badge though unless you don't know what a Maserati is.



I used to think Jag too (and Ford which I thought was a Jag rip-off), until someone pointed out the Aston Martin resemblance.

That snarly V8 sounds a lot better than a Tesla, too. The next time I saw him, I asked why he brought the Buick, which almost got me run over.

Remember that, not too long ago, Jags and Astons (and Land Rovers and Volvos) were all Fords.

 

[Qinsp]

The secret to how Tesla gets its cars to look so good: Designer Franz von Holzhausen

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-...he-budding-superstar-back-in-the-late-2000s-1

I wonder is GM looks at the new Tesla Roadster supercar and worries if it could come down-market and challenge the Corvette?

I think the G1 Model S is the superior look. And the Model X is goofy looking. Like if somebody set the aspect ratio on their screen wrong.

This is the $250,000+ Tesla:

Here is the Camaro track edition:

Not seeing a vast superiority on styling. The Camaro look vicious, the Tesla looks average (for sportscars).

Unless something changes at Tesla HQ, the ability of anything they sell to beat even a base 4 cylinder Camaro around a track is unlikely. They simply don't believe in track performance.

And the Corvette is the Big Dawg. 2018 brings 755HP to the Corvette track edition with the intention of putting the Vette back as leader of the pack like the 2009 ZR1 did.

 

[Shivetya]

I always felt the S was a copy of current then Jaguar and with some Aston Martin thrown in. Worse they didn't know then how to style an electric car and that was evident by keeping what effectively was a grill. The newer S did the front right and that front looks good on the X which is otherwise just a lump.

the III is a travesty viewed from head on and generic from every angle other than that. The new sports car, well its not much more than an elise and miata baby and vastly over priced but they need money desperately which is why they needed a high priced model without competition within their own brand

 

[DonC]

This is interesting. Apple always prioritizes design over engineering. The engineers have to fight for every square inch for antenna space! Tesla seems to be doing the same. It's a great approach in some ways but it can go seriously wrong. The gull wing doors on the Model X is a good example of this. Horrible mistake on many fronts driven by a desire to have a super cool design.

The Bolt EV is on the other end. GM prioritized the engineering and design took a back seat. Personally I like the latter but most people seem drawn to the former. In any event, it's great to have choices of such breadth.

When I see a Tesla I see bits of Jag, bits of Ford, some of that Maserati, in all a sort of generic posh Euro car circa 2010. It's a good looking car but not that original.

Nah, Aston Martin. I picked up a friend last year. Parked at his neighbor's house was what I though was a Model S. When he got in I asked him when his neighbor had gotten a Tesla. He looked and said it was the first time he had seen it. Then I noticed an engine noise, which was weird for a Tesla but not for an Aston Martin, which is what the car was. Now it might have been my bad eyes but my friend owns a Model S.

And the Model X is goofy looking.

Just looks like a toaster. A SMALL toaster. I'm always shocked when I see it parked. When next to other vehicles you can see it's huge. On the highway it looks slightly larger than a CUV. Optical illusion in the wrong direction.

 

[hvacman]

I agree with the article that the Model S is a striking vehicle that will age well. Not just the lines. The paint jobs have a deep luster that also say "style". I agree with Don that Aston Martin comes closest. My eyes always turn when I see one. But the Model X - it looks like someone took an S and blew it up like a balloon. It loses the subtle low-profile grace of a performance sedan but doesn't gain the utilitarian style of an SUV. To me, it screams, "My designer really likes to design luxury sedans but the boss told him to design an SUV".

How the Model 3 ultimately plays to the market will be interesting to watch.

The new 1.9 sec 0-60/ 250 mph Roadster - first thought in my head with its announcement was "who will be the first instantly-rich pro athlete or Hollywood-star to die in one and/or kill someone else". I really, really am not a fan of these street-legal high-performance cars for the testosterone-heavy mega-rich. They are a lethal menace to their owners and the law-abiding motoring public.

 

[Mister Dave]

Remember that, not too long ago, Jags and Astons (and Land Rovers and Volvos) were all Fords.

License to steal then?

They definitely needed to get away from the chrome bars look.

But the Model X - it looks like someone took an S and blew it up like a balloon.

Saw my first one 2 days ago up close. I have to agree. I could only tell it was an X because it was too tall to be an S, which I see a lot of.

Unless something changes at Tesla HQ, the ability of anything they sell to beat even a base 4 cylinder Camaro around a track is unlikely. They simply don't believe in track performance.

Or know what it means and why it's important. But conspicuous consumption isn't about going fast, it's about bring seen in the trophy car (there's an echo in here). So average buyers don't see what it lacks, until they step on the pedal in the wrong situation and it bites them in the ass.

 

[Upper5Percent]

I'M WAITING FOR THE MODEL F...