Photo: Spencer Lowell for Wired.de
I wouldn't be surprised if Elon Musks were holding the families of all of his employees locked in a basement, as added insurance that nobody would spill the beans on the upcoming Model 3.
Regardless of the draconian security measures that are in place at Tesla HQ, it's hard to imagine how else the company has managed to keep everything surrounding the new Model 3 a secret. Sure, being the CEO meant that Musk was allowed to throw us some bones now and then via Twitter, but it wasn't much. Just enough to keep us interested.
Now, though, with a little over 24 hours left until the official presentation event, it would appear that somebody decided to talk. Quoting a source that insisted on remaining anonymous (the dark basement theory seems more solid with every passing minute), electrek.com says that the new Tesla compact sedan will look like a fusion between the two current models, the S and the X. It's shorter and narrower than both, not as low as the S and with a front end resembling the SUV's. The source said they didn't initially like the Model X (me neither, still kind of don't), but fell in love immediately with the Model 3. He (or she) sounds like my kind of guy (or gal).
The design is said to focus on lowering the drag coefficient, so it should look pretty slick. The source has told electrek.com that the presentation will insist on the car's ability to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in under four seconds, but it's not clear whether that will be the case for the base model or a more expensive version with a larger battery and AWD.
The vehiculated maximum range of over 300 miles (483 km) will surely be restricted to more powerful (and expensive) versions, probably one with an 80 kWh battery pack. The price of such models is said to get perilously close to that of a base Model S, but you do get most of the hi-end features with the sole sacrifice of the available room.
Personally, I have no doubt the Model 3 will be an excellent vehicle - never did. The one thing I'm most afraid of is the car's design, and this source's plastic portrayal doesn't clear the air too much. I'm not crazy about the X's front and when they said "similar to a BMW 3 Series" (the term used to describe the Model 3's size), I thought (hoped) they also meant it would be just as low and sporty.
And for all we know, it could very well be. All we have right now are the words of a person that could very well live only inside the head of a certain journalist, so not that much. What we do have is a long night ahead of us, and an even longer day after that. And then, all our questions will be answered. In the classic, slightly annoying Elon Musk way.
Now, though, with a little over 24 hours left until the official presentation event, it would appear that somebody decided to talk. Quoting a source that insisted on remaining anonymous (the dark basement theory seems more solid with every passing minute), electrek.com says that the new Tesla compact sedan will look like a fusion between the two current models, the S and the X. It's shorter and narrower than both, not as low as the S and with a front end resembling the SUV's. The source said they didn't initially like the Model X (me neither, still kind of don't), but fell in love immediately with the Model 3. He (or she) sounds like my kind of guy (or gal).
The design is said to focus on lowering the drag coefficient, so it should look pretty slick. The source has told electrek.com that the presentation will insist on the car's ability to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in under four seconds, but it's not clear whether that will be the case for the base model or a more expensive version with a larger battery and AWD.
The vehiculated maximum range of over 300 miles (483 km) will surely be restricted to more powerful (and expensive) versions, probably one with an 80 kWh battery pack. The price of such models is said to get perilously close to that of a base Model S, but you do get most of the hi-end features with the sole sacrifice of the available room.
Personally, I have no doubt the Model 3 will be an excellent vehicle - never did. The one thing I'm most afraid of is the car's design, and this source's plastic portrayal doesn't clear the air too much. I'm not crazy about the X's front and when they said "similar to a BMW 3 Series" (the term used to describe the Model 3's size), I thought (hoped) they also meant it would be just as low and sporty.
And for all we know, it could very well be. All we have right now are the words of a person that could very well live only inside the head of a certain journalist, so not that much. What we do have is a long night ahead of us, and an even longer day after that. And then, all our questions will be answered. In the classic, slightly annoying Elon Musk way.
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