Public Launch of Tesla Motors/ LA premier

[zaxrex]

So there I was working on my computer when my girlfriends phone rang and she answered it; "Hello?...Where are you?...What's a Tesla..." at that point I grabbed the phone away from her and demanded to know who was talking Tesla to my girl.

Turns out her house mate works for an environmental PR firm and was at the Premier opening of the first Tesla Motors showroom/dealership and wanted to know if we were interested in attending.

So I forcibly grabbed my girl and took her hostage as I forced her to give me directions to said address.

Red carpet, TV cameras, paparazzi, Hollywood whorelettes, the whole enchilada. They were neme dropping clients who had pre ordered the sports car, oh, and hey look over there, Quincy Jones all boozed up and pawing on an Asian chick. But who got to give the Asian chick and two of her friend home that night? Give you a hint, it was one of the guys in this pic.


Because of the open bar, there were no test drives, but you could put your name on the list for a test ride. Acceleration from a standstill? Check. Leather seats that hug you in ways not usually allowed in public? Check. Heavy? At 2700lbs, makes the GT-R not so porky. Noisy? Only when the tires break loose.

See the rest of the pics up at the gallery

[avriette]

1) what do they cost?
2) is this a lease like a lot of the other hybrids/electrics?
3) are they deluding themselves and/or the public about the environmental impact of battery-powered cars?

[Mr Kleen]

very cool, Z. but next time remember that Casa de Turbo is on EST.

1) what do they cost?
2) is this a lease like a lot of the other hybrids/electrics?
3) are they deluding themselves and/or the public about the environmental impact of battery-powered cars?

1 - $109k base
2 - not sure, but they are selling them outright
3 - probably so, just like all the people who buy hybrids...

[sirwilliam]

<jealousy ensues this man's body>

You lucky dog!

[zaxrex]

2. Yep, they are selling them, but they are all sold out already. They took pre-orders with a $60K deposit. Found out later that I had missed Jenny McCarthy. Oh well, I got to ride the Tesla instead. I win.

3. They do talk about the dangers of lithium and the necessity for keeping the batteries cool. There are as many environmental warnings as there are in the batteries in your computer. Delusions are optional for Mac owners I guess.

Bottom line is, this is a sports car that is electric. Not an "eco friendly" car like the ThinkCity. And, eco cars are not fun.

[Sabre]

That freaking awesome man, congrats!

[Mr Kleen]

Autoblog coverage

[drwrx]

Zak wins the "Right Place, Right Time Award"

I would have given left two lug nuts for something like that.

[complacent]

Zak wins the "Right Place, Right Time Award"

I would have given left two lug nuts for something like that.

A big

Personal thoughts on the car aside, way cool to catch that!

Sorry I didn't respond to your txt Zman, international rates are reeely expensive!

[zaxrex]

Not a problem. With my upcoming trips to Japan, Korea, and Germany, I'll remember to save the cool stuff for the full sized keyboard.