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Indeed, it happens only by redefining 'luxury' to equal 'expensive to buy' and by only looking at the country where Tesla happens to be from and where it is much more popular than elsewhere.

I didn't define the term luxury car and Tesla's sell well around the world, not just in the US. If you think Tesla's aren't luxury cars then you have no idea what the term means. Luxury comes in many forms but only two factors are universal. Cost and brand. Tesla has both - ergo it is a luxury brand. Your personal opinion of the products is irrelevant. Quality, reliability, comfort, and other factors can contribute but do not necessarily define luxury. A Lamborghini is obviously a luxury car but if you had ever been in one you would know that the quality sucks, the reliability is abysmal, the fit and finish aren't great, and the comfort is non-existent. They are flashy, expensive, fast and fun. Tesla obviously focuses their cars on good looks, fast acceleration, and tech. If you prefer a sort of luxury that comes in the form of overpriced moving leather furniture (think Cadillac) that is fine but it's not what defines the category.

Ultimately what defines a luxury car or any luxury good is exclusivity. It is the fact that it is priced out of the reach of most buyers. Hence it is a luxury instead of a necessity. Any other definition is bullshit.

Nobody with the faintest knowledge about cars would call a Tesla a luxury car.

Oh really? You are aware that pretty much every automotive magazine and every major media outlet that deals with cars considers Tesla to be a competitor in the luxury car market. Gotta love the snob argument. It's such a great way to move the goal posts to make "luxury" mean whatever you want it to mean.

Riddle me this. If Tesla isn't a luxury car then why are Audi, Porsche, Volvo, Lamborghini, and other luxury brands tripping over themselves to copy what Tesla is doing?

The interior and the fit and finish are apalling even to American standards.

Cute. So you think interior fit and finish is all that defines a luxury car? Evidently you've never examined a Lamborghini (or Alfa or almost any other Italian car) very closely if you think fit and finish are what defines luxury. Drive a supercar sometime. Clearly luxury and they are mostly made like shit. They only last because nobody drives them very much.

Randy Pobst disagrees with you.

We're going to start seeing lots of track records being broken by race-prepped Model 3s in the coming year.

Yeah, well, I think if that was actually the case, a lot of Tesla drivers would have noticed and been raising hell. They haven't.

edmunds.com sure is raising hell about their Model 3 LR 36.8 kWh/100miles.

Motortrend don't seem pleased by their 34.9 kWh/100miles (103.7 MPGe) Model 3.

CarAndDriver sound disappointed by their 200miles range Model 3.

This German Environment Minister (and Green Party Tree Hugger)rejected his Tesla (not a Model 3 this time but a Model S P100 (100kWh battery, Model 3 LR only has a 75 kWh battery)), due to 190 miles range (300km), among other quality issues.

Fact of the matter is, reliable sources are getting ~200miles range from Tesla big battery offerings.

I kind of favor reliable sources with known track records rather than anonymous cowards like Rei/KarenRei/Karen Pease, or even yourself Kyr Arvin.

Hmmm. Lets see:
1) wiki The Tesla Model 3 is a mid-size (US) / compact executive (EU)[7] luxury all-electric four-door sedan manufactured and sold by Tesla, Inc.
2) Car and DriverHowever, in its current form (only models equipped to a price of $50,000 and up are available as of this writing), it is actually more of a compact luxury sedan competing with the BMW 3-series in size and price.
3) Top Gear What is it? Oh, just some sensibly priced electric BMW 3 Series rival from a little-known American start-up.
4) Motor Trend This shows the luxury compact cars, which includes Tesla model 3.
5) Edmunds There's 15 cubic feet of trunk space, again similar to what other entry-level luxury cars offer.

So, the gov, all the other car makers, and all the experts consider the TM3 to be a compact luxury car. You can claim whatever you want, but ...

Wow you really suck at communicating.

The original poster rejects the Galaxy S10, specifically calling out the screen size, price, and battery life, and you think they should buy the previous version of the exact same phone, which features the exact same size screen, will debut in the same pricing segment, and barring a major internal redesign, will have roughly the same battery life.

I can only assume you either:
1) Didn't read the OP's wish list for the phone they want, or
2) Blindly questioned my suggestion, without looking at the specs to consider the reason I chose it. Maybe playing some Samsung loyalty angle? I dunno.

In either case, I don't see me as being the one with a "communication issue".

To use a car analogy:

Original Poster: "What is with this focus on huge trucks every year? I want a vehicle that's under $25 grand, has good cargo room, and gas mileage."

My response: "Have you checked out the Hyundia Elantra hatchbacks? They have a pretty surprising amount of room and they start at $20k.

Your response to me: "Why don't you recommend a 2017 Ford Explorer?"

Me: "Because that doesn't meet the OP's checklist at all???"

You: "You sure suck at communicating".

Hey Rei (pet name "pedo" from your molester Elon), you mind posting the straight youtube.com links. I can't load the ones you got right now.

larger percentage of them were lower power

Wow, talking about screwing your customers by not clearly indicating you are limping into a shit-tier "Shitercharger".
Tell "pedo" Musk (you call each other by that cute petname I was told...) to update them "Shitercharger" map locations.

Consumer Reports tested it. It went 350 miles

That's funny, MotorTrend only got 230 miles (103.7 MPGe).
Now MotorTrend indicated they used the services of Emissions Analytics, how did Consumer Report do its testing?

Report in 2011 with several cars made before 2003 22 cars that stop better than 100 feet from 60

That is at least 33 feet better than the Tesla, more like over 50 feet. And in a car that out accelerates half of them????

The Chevy Bolt EV has a stopping distance of 128 feet. Has a range of 238 miles (Tesla Model 3 range is 220 miles), normal controls just like in any other car, comes with cruise control (Tesla Model 3 only does if you include autopilot), and does not restrict your right to repair like Tesla does. You can buy it right now for $37k (Tesla Model 3 starts at $35k) with no waiting period. Most importantly, you will never have to deal with that weasel Elon Musk.

From MotorTrend's testing:

Nine times out of 10, this first brake application and steering cut says most of what I need to know; up ahead are loopy black tire marks where a few notable sport sedans have already half-spun. As the arc of orange cones appears on the right, I straighten my ankle into the brake pedal. The 3’s nose barely sinks, I can lower it like a micrometer, as I’m gauging my stopping rate to within a foot or two. Very precise braking.

They measured an average braking distance of 119ft, vs. 123 ft for the BMW 330i.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against CR. But their testing mechanisms often seem really poorly controlled. Which can go either way - they found a 350 mile range for the Model 3 LR with 18" wheels, which is well further than normal. Their range measurement isn't a drive cycle, it's just a guy driving, which is obviously going to introduce a lot of randomness. One likes to hope that their braking tests are better controlled, but somehow I doubt that. They got hugely divergent braking distance results on the Model 3, with their first measure being around 130 feet, but others much higher dragging the average up.

Great. It's a shame the two are probably worlds apart in handling, fit and finish, reliability and comfort

Start reading reviews. Here, I'll help - some excerpts and links. Let me know which of these are some sort of Tesla shills:

Motor Trend:

What’s blanching, though, is the car’s ride and handling. If anybody was expecting a typical boring electric sedan here, nope. The ride is Alfa Giulia (maybe even Quadrifoglio)–firm, and quickly, I’m carving Stunt Road like a Sochi Olympics giant slalomer, micrometering my swipes at the apexes. I glance at Franz—this OK? “Go for it,” he nods. The Model 3 is so unexpected scalpel-like, I’m sputtering for adjectives. The steering ratio is quick, the effort is light (for me), but there’s enough light tremble against your fingers to hear the cornering negotiations between Stunt Road and these 235/40R19 tires (Continental ProContact RX m+s’s). And to mention body roll is to have already said too much about it. Sure, that battery is low, way down under the floor. But unlike the aluminum Model S, the Tesla Model 3 is composed of steel, too, and this car’s glass ceiling can’t be helping the center of gravity’s height. Nearly-nil body roll? Magic, I’m telling you. Magic. And this is the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive starting point. The already boggled mind boggles further at the mention of Dual Motor and Ludicrous.

Top Gear:

Gone are the Model S’s projecting doorhandles in favour of nicely crafted aluminium ones that project manually like those on an Aston when you poke one end. Open the door and slide in, and the interior is beautifully simple and uncluttered. The steering wheel features two buttons that adjust everything from the traditional (volume, radio frequency) to the more unique (door mirror adjustment and steering wheel positioning).
***
The car we drove was a Long Range model with all the options list ticked, including the Premium Upgrade Package, featuring leather seats (base models come with fabric), a wooden dash inlay panel that spans the width of the cockpit and the aforementioned glass roof that infuses the interior with a huge feeling of light and space. It’s all simple, elegant, uncluttered and nicely crafted. Before we set off, I jumped in the back and with the driver seat positioned for my 6ft frame, there was still plenty of room in the back for three adults.
***
Our short foray highlighted that the Model 3’s quoted 0–60mph time of 5.1 seconds in this Long Range spec might be underplaying its performance a bit: it’s rapid, and the acceleration is delivered with that lovely linearity and unwavering torque that EVs deliver. The overall feeling of peace and quiet is helped by the minimalist interior but by impressive sound deadening and insulation – the road noise is minimal.

The Verge:

I felt like I was driving in an Eames chair. That was my first impression as I climbed into the driver’s seat of the Tesla Model 3 at the Fremont Factory on Friday afternoon. It took a moment to orient myself — no gauges, no speedometer, no airplane cockpit cues. Instead, one continuous smooth line between myself and the road ahead, offset by natural, unfinished wood. The premium model of the Model 3 caught me off guard. After hearing so much hype about this car, I was surprised that my first reaction was a profound sense of delight. It wasn’t bland, nor sterile, nor cheap feeling. Here was something different. Here was an exercise in min

As for reviews, let's go down the list. By all means, read the full reviews yourself.

Motor Trend:

What’s blanching, though, is the car’s ride and handling. If anybody was expecting a typical boring electric sedan here, nope. The ride is Alfa Giulia (maybe even Quadrifoglio)–firm, and quickly, I’m carving Stunt Road like a Sochi Olympics giant slalomer, micrometering my swipes at the apexes. I glance at Franz—this OK? “Go for it,” he nods. The Model 3 is so unexpected scalpel-like, I’m sputtering for adjectives. The steering ratio is quick, the effort is light (for me), but there’s enough light tremble against your fingers to hear the cornering negotiations between Stunt Road and these 235/40R19 tires (Continental ProContact RX m+s’s). And to mention body roll is to have already said too much about it. Sure, that battery is low, way down under the floor. But unlike the aluminum Model S, the Tesla Model 3 is composed of steel, too, and this car’s glass ceiling can’t be helping the center of gravity’s height. Nearly-nil body roll? Magic, I’m telling you. Magic. And this is the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive starting point. The already boggled mind boggles further at the mention of Dual Motor and Ludicrous.

Top Gear:

Gone are the Model S’s projecting doorhandles in favour of nicely crafted aluminium ones that project manually like those on an Aston when you poke one end. Open the door and slide in, and the interior is beautifully simple and uncluttered. The steering wheel features two buttons that adjust everything from the traditional (volume, radio frequency) to the more unique (door mirror adjustment and steering wheel positioning).
***
The car we drove was a Long Range model with all the options list ticked, including the Premium Upgrade Package, featuring leather seats (base models come with fabric), a wooden dash inlay panel that spans the width of the cockpit and the aforementioned glass roof that infuses the interior with a huge feeling of light and space. It’s all simple, elegant, uncluttered and nicely crafted. Before we set off, I jumped in the back and with the driver seat positioned for my 6ft frame, there was still plenty of room in the back for three adults.
***
Our short foray highlighted that the Model 3’s quoted 0–60mph time of 5.1 seconds in this Long Range spec might be underplaying its performance a bit: it’s rapid, and the acceleration is delivered with that lovely linearity and unwavering torque that EVs deliver. The overall feeling of peace and quiet is helped by the minimalist interior but by impressive sound deadening and insulation – the road noise is minimal.

The Verge:

I felt like I was driving in an Eames chair. That was my first impression as I climbed into the driver’s seat of the Tesla Model 3 at the Fremont Factory on Friday afternoon. It took a moment to orient myself — no gauges, no speedometer, no airplane cockpit cues. Instead, one continuous smooth line between myself and the road ahead, offset by natural, unfinished wood. The premium model of the Model 3 caught me off guard. After hearing so much hype about this car, I was surprised that my first reaction was a profound sense of delight. It wasn’t bland, nor sterile, nor cheap feeling. Here was something different. Here was an exercise in minimalism. Here was the car Elon Musk promised to make 14 years ago.

The abundant test drive reviews disagree with you.

Motor Trend - Exclusive: Tesla Model 3 First Drive Review - Motor Trend

Top Gear- Tesla Model 3 review: first drive of Elon Musk's affordable EV

The Verge - A closer look at Tesla Model 3's spartan interior

The Verge - Tesla Model 3 first drive: this is the car that Elon Musk promised

Bloomberg - Tesla’s Model 3 Arrives With a Surprise 310-Mile Range

Bloomberg[/COLOR] - Driving Tesla’s Model 3 Changes Everything

Car and Driver - 2018 Tesla Model 3: Everything We Know | Feature | Car and Driver

CNET - Tesla Model 3 is well worth the hype

Car Advice - Tesla Model 3 quick drive review | CarAdvice

Fortune - Here’s What Reviewers Think About Tesla’s Model 3 So Far

Ars Technica - All the things the Internet hates about the Tesla Model 3 have me excited

Mashable - Driving a Tesla Model 3 is pretty damn awesome

TechCrunch - Your smartphone is the key for the Tesla Model 3

But hey, feel free to live in your own little world and deny reality to your heart's content.

Has been out for awhile and nobody is buying it. What's better about the Model 3?

Lol, okay, let's go down the list. Bolt vs. Model 3. Just the base models (Model 3 is much more upgradeable)

MSRP: $37500 vs $35000
0-60: 6,5s vs. 5,6s
Top speed: 90mph vs. 130mph
Handling: Read for yourself (start at "What's blanching...")
EPA range: 238mi vs. 220mi
Max charge speed: 90mph vs. 260mph
Fast charge network: Poor (single stall, poorly monitored, big holes) vs. excellent (4-8+ stalls, widespread distribution on almost all major interstates)
Dealership experience: Famously hard sell and uneducated about EVs, vs. almost humorously soft-sell, behaving instead like museum curators who just want to talk about their exhibit
Automatic crash avoidance: Optional extra vs. standard
Climate control: Single vs. dual zone
Track record for safety: less-than-stellar vs. outright-insulted-if-they-score-less-than-perfect-in-any-test. And this.
Standard warranty: 3yrs / 36k mi vs. 4yrs / 50k mi (both have the same battery warranty, 8 yrs / 100k mi)
Company dedication: Makes EVs as a side project to their main business vs. fully invested in EVs.
Efficiency: heavier & higher drag vs. lighter and lower drag
Styling: Come on, is there any contest? Even remotely? Bolt vs. Model 3. The interior difference is even worse, with the Bolt being your typical econobox interior (yet at a nearly $40k price point).
Depreciation of past models: Terrible vs. Low

I could keep going. I mean, there's just no contest. Unless you're seriously in a rush, or you think Musk is the devil, I can't imagine why anyone would pick the Bolt over the Model 3.

That's incredibly optimistic on mass. All of the ICE-related hardware on the Volt, for example, is several hundred pounds. The engine alone is a couple hundred pounds. And it's still your standard ICE maintenance mess.

That's not to say that the Volt is "as light as possible" or anything of the sort. I've seen some companies pursuing Wankels, for example (although they burn oil and are slightly less efficient) to reduce mass. A couple car companies have made prototypes with gas microturbines - but microturbines are expensive, loud, and not nearly as efficient as their larger counterparts (half as efficient as ICEs). There's a few other options being pursued, but in general, there's no option on the horizon for a light, low maintenance, cheap, quiet, efficient, etc genset for a series hybrid. If you want a genset, be prepared for ICE complexity and hundreds of pounds of dead mass.

What crash danger are you referring to with genset trailers? They're not very large, so there's not going to be much jackknife risk, and there should be no discernable fishtailing even in the most extreme situations.

Your Points... #1. Fuel efficiency - The Lupo 3l, a Real world 78mpg, vs the model Ts reported 13-21... Yes I would say we are doing much better. Also considering that we have even made a plane that can fly around the world on NO fossil fuels of any kind. #2 Cheap Space Travel - Nobody said taking the entire environment of the Earth with you in simulated fashion was going to be cheap, or easy... That certainly does NOT mean we have made no discovery or achievement in space and exploration. Just the opposite. We are exploring FAR more of the observable universe than we EVER have, and the new wide field telescope is soon to completely change the way we look at the stars in the night sky and observable universe at large. #3 CPU Speed Plateau - Mostly correct, however, parallel computing and quantum computing are already changing the game. Making engineers think and program in radically new ways. The tides of change do ebb and flow. That does NOT mean they have some how halted. The laws of physics used to be something we could ONLY theorize, as we believed there was no real tangible way to TEST those theories. The LHC and CERN have shown us that this is not so. Same goes for the Photon and Graviton. Major Accomplishments in the modern era that change our understanding of physics on a "Daily" basis... So, yes and no... #4. Transportation speeds in the past 50-60 years in Both Air and Land Speed have BOTH had their bar raised MUCH higher than what was possible 50-60 years ago... By nearly 1000MPH in the Air since 1957, and around 360MPH on the Land in roughly the same timeframe.. So #4 is just plain False :-) New technologies do not "STOP" improving because a limit of physics has been hit... We simply start thinking in 3 dimensions or in radically new ways that the earth has never seen. Its all in the history books my friend. The Limitations of Physics are only limitations, because we do not yet fully understand the forces that created this Universe. But that too, is RAPIDLY changing. The Fields of Physics and Cosmology are discovering new tangible real world methods to verify the theory and turn it into facts we can work with. These perceived limitations are the result of a closed mind, not rooted in science. There are no limitations, just things we do not yet understand. Your knowledge of history is also lacking... Maybe Do your homework before trolling next time. K Anonymous? :-P Sources: http://www.motortrend.com/news... - - http://www.solarimpulse.com/ad... - http://www.gutenberg.cc/articl... - http://www.landspeedrecord.org...

Most modern luxury cars dont have detachable headrests. They may move up and down but dont coma all the way out. In top end cars its not unusual that they are motor controlled.
Many have seats that form the headrest, such as this:
http://st.motortrend.com/uploa...

Thrashing a Porsche 911 and Nissan 350Z on the Autobahn

They already have, they have put out a car with zero emissions.

No they haven't.

I think you forgot point number four...

That's not even a Tesla Model 3, that's just something thrown together by a fan trying to guess what it would look like.

There's what an actual Model 3 looks like:
http://www.motortrend.com/news...

I don't drive a Tesla either.

According to this review, they are far better than the competition.

As far as I understand, you cannot miss the warning. It's not like an EULA with walls and walls of text.

I imagine it's like the warning on all dedicated GPS systems. At the start, you have to hit a button and maybe also wait a few seconds to ostensibly read the text. I ignore it every time and occasionally violate the warning by hitting a button while driving. My guess is that the Tesla warning has the same efficacy.

I don't drive a Tesla either.

According to this review, they are far better than the competition.

As far as I understand, you cannot miss the warning. It's not like an EULA with walls and walls of text.

Motor Trend would be disappointed. They dedicated 3 paragraphs of SUV of the year to the Volvo key fob...

800 volts, which is what this car is, should not be in the same class as 15 kV. It is closer to 120 V than it is to 15 kV.

The maximum air gap 800 volts DC will jump is 1/10 of a mm. Hmmph. Big deal. It requires respect because the consequences of coming within an air distance equal to the thickness of a few sheets of paper of it - or much more likely, touching it, are SEVERE, but it's not a big bad magic monster.

If lay people (drivers) when charging at quick charge stations are dealing with several hundred volts now every day (a Tesla supercharger is 400 V), then there is no deep dark reason why 800 volts should suddenly become a priesthood-only matter. Time was, not that long ago, ordinary drivers weren't allowed to pump their own gasoline either.

I think you will find that the insulation on a charging cable is made literally many hundreds of times thicker than the barely required dielectric strength, and the connector is designed so that you can't come anywhere near the contact. I bet it has some super effective GFI protection, too. It sure as hell is not live when being connected.

To put it in perspective, ordinary hookup wire with teflon class E insulation is rated at 600 volts. The insulation is 0.25 mm thick but clearly has a gigantic safety factor. The dielectric strength of extruded teflon is 19.7 MV/m, which is 19.7 kV/mm, so if the insulation on that wire is in perfect condition it will actually withstand 5 kV. I'll bet the insulation on a high voltage charging cable is a minum of 50 times as thick; probably more.

In practice diesel cars average about 25% efficient, gasoline cars about 20%. They're slowly improving, mind you.

Mostly the gassers, and mostly by becoming more like diesels. I'm not complaining, though; far from it. I'm looking forward to the trend proliferating. After all the time I've spent cursing FoMoCo, it feels odd to be singing their praises now, but Ecoboost has got me doing that.

What I want is a diesel PHEV Impreza. We don't get any diesel Subarus here yet, though. Motortrend suggests that the world may get a PHEV diesel successor to the Tribeca, perhaps by 2017 Subaru will suck it up and do what it takes to offer diesels here. But I want the smallest vehicle in the range, not the biggest...

Well the Tesla Superchargers are "capable of charging up to 400 volts at 250 amps" so 100 amps is no problem.

20KW would *melt* domestic feeds even before you get to the meter. Over here the average home has a 60-100A meter fuse (with 60A becoming more and more common, I had to pretty much demand a 100A and a leg main out to my garage) at 220V, that's 13KW or so at the meter - before you get to the distribution bus. Your ring main is rated at 3.6KW max total load *for the entire circuit*.

Well, I have zero first-hand knowledge - I'm just repeating what I read elsewhere. You can get a 100A home charger that provides 20kW if your house is wired for it. Source: Wikipedia

Besides, the context of this article is commercial charging stations for on-the-go charging. The superchargers already deployed provide 90kW, but are capable of 400V 250A. So we're already talking about serious current in place. Source: Motortrend

I took your advice on point number 3. I didn't buy the 500 HP pickup I was going to buy.

I'm buying the 700 HP muscle car instead.

The new Fiats being sold as Dodges? Ask Motor Trend, specifically Kim Reynolds, their track tester. For a car that (finally) replaced the SCCA-worthy Skip Barber favorite child Neon, his quote from emerging from the test track was "This is just an awful car. It is completely uncomposed and sloppy. It doesn't do anything well out there." Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/road...

And I've noticed many cops are now driving high-end "muscle cars" - because you know a $60K Dodge Charger with a "police package" is so much more effective in city response than the old Crown Vics or whatever the "off the shelf" cop car is these days.

Cops cars have never been cheap. The suspension and chassis are stiffer, the wheels tend to be bigger (though steel, to reduce cost) to house larger brakes, the transmissions and differentials are often special. Various options exist for bullet-proof Kevlar armored doors. There are often extra, dedicated oil and transmission coolers. The batteries are huge, and there can be more than one of them, and the alternators are bigger. The seats are wider, not because cops are fat (remember, most other Americans are fat), but because they carry a ridiculous amount of hardware on their belts. These are all safety and durability improvements for the type of driving these cars are expected to be doing on a regular basis, with the vehicles themselves sometimes working 3 shifts per day.

And then there's a lot of work and expense that goes into modifying them for police duty even once they're delivered: By default, the interior is spartan, at best (what cup holder?). Communicaitons, lights, computer(s) need added, and added stoutly. Cages, locking shotgun holders need added. Push bars. Graphics and/or paint need changed to match the rest of the fleet Et cetera.

These are not luxury automobiles -- you can easily find a cheap Kia on the lot at Enterprise that is more pleasant, with more creature comforts than any average cop car for normal driving.

That said, there are three "off the shelf" cop cars since demise of the Crown Vic: Dodge Charger, and Ford Police Interceptor.

None of these are implicitly "muscle cars." They're all available with a normally-aspirated V6 that is identical (or at least very nearly so) to the same engines you'll find in the same civilian cars at the dealership, though more-powerful engines are certainly available.

So, what does such a purpose-built car cost? From this article, base prices (including, in these cases, upgraded engines) looks like the following:

2012 Chevrolet Caprice PPV, 6.0L/355-hp/384-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8: $31,745

2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit, 5.7L/370-hp/395-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8, $30,965

2013 Ford Police Interceptor Sedan, 3.5L/365-hp/350-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6, $29,155

and for comparison with the venerable Crown Vic:

2008 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, 4.6L/239-hp/276-lb-ft SOHC 16-valve V-8, $28,470

I, for one, think my money is being better-spent on any of the three standard-issue cop car chassis, than it ever was on a Crown Vic. Price is roughly in-keeping with a last-gen, inflation-adjusted Crown Vic, and even though the new cars are actually a bit heavier, every single performance feature (including gas mileage) is improved.

This is not opulence, but simply progress.

I also like how they make out '4 tons' like it's a big deal - that's 9k pounds, yes, but a plain old passenger van starts out at 7k pounds, for one that only seats 8. 8.6k for one that seats 15.

No, no in fact, it does not. A plain old passenger van starts out at 5,224 pounds. That right there is probably the most popular passenger van in history, that ol' E-150. The E-Series was supposed to be dead by this year, but too many crotchety old fuckers screamed about it for that to happen, so it's still around.

My 1992 F250 Super Cab 4x4 XLT 7.3 with a turbo kit weighs someplace around 6800 wet. 9000 pounds is in fact a staggeringly heavy vehicle.

The ZR1 that set the 7:19.63 Nurburgring lap time survived.

Too bad the Blue Devil ZR-1 was lost.

Proud owner of a 2011 Grand Sport, 666 RWHP...

The Replicator is partially here, for Digital Entertainment. And look at the fight to the death for it!

We can forgive T.O.S. for a lot of things being the first, and "being far enough back" they had a lot of ground to break and computers were 3rd generation ENIACS with better hardware. But it's interesting that Next Generation takes place in an updated time (including the early 90's) when enough of the early future of computing was clear enough ... ... and they still missed the Digital Rights theme. (Or else were told by the studios not to feature it!!)

Meanwhile, we're half way there on the physical printing side. "Everything is a file", and you become limited only by the "quality" of your "Replicator". The early days, all they could do is fill cheap plastic molds so you could make toy models and stuff. But slowly the surprises are coming.

Porsche Provides 3D Printer Blueprints for Scale Model Cayman
http://wot.motortrend.com/1312_porsche_provides_3d_printer_blueprints_for_scale_model_cayman.html

As a "Scale Model", that kind of thing could be an immense help for people like Indie Film-makers. Because a big limiting factor is props. Let's presuming the model car doors open, and you can get inside. Then it's 1982 Atari all over again, and you can just add CGI to the Windshield area to look like you are driving somewhere in your Porsche. Then you get out and go back to your film.

Or, as the homage itself, ... just print the props for a SciFi show!

So it's coming.

VW Passat R32

This gets 18/23 mpg. compared with my Honda Civic which gets a real world mileage of 32 to 36 or a Prius which probably gets 40s in the real world. The sticker price looks comparable or even a bit higher. Your post doesn't seem like much of a rebuttal to the arguments I was making.

Curb weight of an F150: 4925 pounds.

Curb weight of a Land Rover Range Rover: 4918 pounds.

The aluminum body of the Range Rover saves 7 pounds (0.14%) of weight relative to the steel body of the F150. Apparently the rest of the components of the F150 are already considerably lighter than those of the Range Rover, and moving any of the body to aluminum will result in an even lighter vehicle.

Curb weight of an F150: 4925 pounds.

Curb weight of a Land Rover Range Rover: 4918 pounds.

The aluminum body of the Range Rover saves 7 pounds (0.14%) of weight relative to the steel body of the F150. Apparently the rest of the components of the F150 are already considerably lighter than those of the Range Rover, and moving any of the body to aluminum will result in an even lighter vehicle.

My car:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1302_2013_subaru_impreza_wrx_special_edition_first_test/

"Braking, 60 - 0 MPH, 106 ft."

Cadillac Deville Concours, "Braking, 60 - 0 mph, 142 ft"
Lincoln Town Car Touring Sedan, "Braking 60 - 0 mph, 133 ft."

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/112_9712_cadillac_deville_concours_vs_lincoln_town_and_country/viewall.html

My car:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1302_2013_subaru_impreza_wrx_special_edition_first_test/

"Braking, 60 - 0 MPH, 106 ft."

Cadillac Deville Concours, "Braking, 60 - 0 mph, 142 ft"
Lincoln Town Car Touring Sedan, "Braking 60 - 0 mph, 133 ft."

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/112_9712_cadillac_deville_concours_vs_lincoln_town_and_country/viewall.html

It should be pretty easy to tell: the difference between MR (Mid-engine, Rear-wheel-drive) and RR (Rear-engine, Rear-wheel-drive) is whether the engine is before or after the rear axle. If it's in front (such as with a Ferrari or De Tomaso Pantera), MR; if behind (like in old VW Bugs and Chenowth dune buggies), RR.

As for the S660, from what I can see in the pictures from this article, I'm guessing it's MR, considering how close to the valance the rear wheels are. Unless the engine is itty, there's no way you're sticking it behind that axle.

0) I doubt reaction time for autonomous cars is going to be that close to zero - this just judging from the crappy latencies of so many things (cameras, sensors etc).
1) Braking time is not finite. Depends on the speed, the driver and the car. If the car in front of you hits something you may want to stop before hitting it.

If you have a crappy/average car it doesn't take a high speed for the braking distance (not time) to start getting longer than the reaction distance. Even assuming 1 second of reaction time.

The braking times are lower if you have one of these cars: http://www.motortrend.com/features/mt_hot_list/1112_22_cars_that_stop_from_mph_in_less_than_100_feet/

Actually, in the US where almost everyone is driving an automatic...

You know, I see this all the time, but then I read articles like this (where it states the U.S. is single-handedly responsible for BMW making stick shifts available in their higher end saloons): http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-bmw-m5-manual-test-review and http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1211_2013_bmw_m5_first_test/ ("North America is the only continent where you can buy the 2013 BMW M5 with a manual transmission...")

More and more higher end European cars (McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche Turbo) are foregoing the stick shift entirely. (Aston Martin seems to be a hold-out, for now.)

As an American who prefers the precise control of a UNIX command line -- er, manual transmission -- I abhor this sea change. (In the 20 years since I've had my license, I've owned two I6/5-speed Jeeps, a 6-speed equipped Porsche cabriolet, and a 6-speed equipped BMW M3.)

Let's be real: we're only a few short years from on-windshield HUDs for navigation, driving metrics, etc.

Really short:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1301_2014_chevrolet_corvette_stingray_first_look/photo_55.html

If by 10 seconds,

to say a car is "a 10 second car" means it takes 10 seconds to go from 0 KPH to 100 KPH. If you have trouble with that measurement, please stop talking about cars now.

Eh, there's plenty of people that use it to refer to the quarter mile. E.g.: 2013 Nissan GT-R is a 10 Second Car! refers to the quarter mile, as the car takes 2.7 seconds to get to 60 MPH. Nevertheless, it was pretty obvious from context what your reference was.

So, should Ford be able to control your car after you buy it?

Posting anon to preserve moderation...ask and ye shall receive.

http://wot.motortrend.com/ferrari-sues-to-remove-badges-from-360-modena-limo-94.html

Yes, forget about everything else he might have said. Let's focus on gun price alone because that's the only point that matters here.

Let's find another source here that says "Whitney got a contract for $134,000 to produce 10,000 muskets in 1798. That's $13.40 per musket." Let's attempt to convert that to today's dollar.

Briefly, it says "In 2011, the relative value of $13.00 from 1798 ranges from $236.00 to $480,000.00. In detail it is revealed that $236 is calculated using GDP deflator which is similar to CPI, which assumes that gun costs are scaled the same as commodity goods such as bread and butter, but it is not. The figure $480,000 is based on share of total GDP which is akin to saying if the whole nation dedicated the same percentage of economy power to making guns, that would be the price the government pays today per gun. Bellesiles could have argued that $480,000 is the best estimate, and surely that's in the ballpark of the price of a Lamborghini. My personal choice of a fair estimate would be $7,680 based on nominal GDP per capita, which is more indicative of the financial burden to an average individual (both unskilled and skilled labor) for purchasing a gun.

And to be fair, the critics of Bellesiles are unreasonably harsh, not in the counter-evidence they presented, but on the interpretation of the evidences. Basically they show A as an evidence, and assert that A implies B where B typically falls along the line to discredit Bellesiles. I don't disagree with A, but I disagree with almost every count of A implies B they asserted. Nonetheless, the collection of evidences A is still valuable, just that the critics do not appear to understand the evidences themselves.

If you're driving so fast towards a traffic light that you can't stop in twenty yards without screeching the tires, you're doing it wrong, yes.

Really? The road in front of my house has a speed limit of 50mph. Explain to me how I can stop from the posted speed limit of 50mph in my truck within anything close to twenty yards. Even a Corvette ZR1 with huge brakes and tires can only do 60-0 in about 31 yards. For a lot of driving conditions and situations what you are suggesting is physically impossible. And no, driving like my grandmother is not a reasonable solution.

It's not a shifter per se, but a stalk that you move up and down. It's no different from pressing a button and you'll see that to park the car actually requires a push of a button. Go drive one. I'm very aware that there's not much I could if that giant powerful machine stopped responding to my little pushes. Scary. At least on my motorcycle, I have a kill switch.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2012/mercedes_benz/s_class/s550_sedan/1935/photos/interior/gearshift.html

As for the other posts:

Forget about getting all technical about the clutch pedal/torque converter, the point is that it's silly re-engineer a pretty crucial piece of hardware when a simple kill switch will do. KISS. You also avoid ruining an engine, overheating, fires, etc. by just disengaging the tranny.

And hitting the kill switch will not seize the engine on a motorcycle at speed. Try and you will see. You would have learned this in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class.

And switching down through all the gears on a motorcycle then popping up one to neutral can be tricky. Especially if you are having problems with the clutch cable, gear shifter, etc. which I have experienced in one form or another. This is precisely why the kill switch is crucial.

Learn from this and spread the word. :)

The Model S has been reviewed multiple times was named 2013 Car of the Year by both Motor Trend and Automobile Mag. They know cars and how to test them.
Motor Trend drove the cars over 1000 miles and it was unanimously chosen as the winner by all 11 judges, beating out 45 other cars.

The full review and methodology is at http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1301_2013_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_contenders_and_finalists/viewall.html

When I see an unbiased third party do the test - like Consumer Reports or Motor Trend - then I'll take what has to be said seriously.

You may have made that comment sarcastically, but in case you didn't (and for those unfamiliar with the other tests):

From CR: Tesla Model S - The electric car that shatters every myth.

From Motor Trends: 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Tesla Model S.

While those two publications aren't perfect, they seem to have way more credibility than Broder.

Replying to a bit of a troll, but:
Consumer reports basically the same route.
Motor trend car of the year 2013

I would. And with a long waiting list it would seem I'm not alone. By all accounts the Model S is every bit as "up-scale" and luxurious as any BMW or Mercedes. Oh yeah, and then there's that whole 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year thing... Who in their right mind would want a BMW when they could have a Tesla for the same price?