Photo: decampkev via Instagram
Some people are complaining about the proportions of Faraday Future's FF 91 electric crossover, and while looking at the startup's proposed model you might start to understand what they're on about, Tesla's Model 3 isn't entirely easy on the eyes either.
The sedan was first introduced to the public nearly one year ago (it was March 31, to be more exact), and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Not everybody was crazy about the exterior design - and the trunk opening was a big talking point - but it was enough to earn the EV close to 400,000 reservations even though future owners would have to wait close to two years at the minimum.
After the press had raged on for a few months, the Model 3 descended into a cone of shadow and people started to forget about it. It would get a mention every time there was talk of future electric vehicles and the Chevy Bolt versus Tesla Model 3 duel held the front pages of the automotive media for a while, but the very few images of the car were already pretty well sunk into the subconscious of the public.
But the subconscious can be a very treacherous thing. It can very easily have you convinced about something, even though that might not be entirely true. And just as well it can use the similarities between the Model S and Model 3 and leave you the impression the smaller sedan is just a sleek as the company's bestseller to date.
But the reality is that it’s not: it’s significantly bulkier, less athletic, more condensed. That grille-less nose will also take some getting used to as it lacks even that narrow crevasse found on the Model S. After a lifetime of cars with radiator grilles, the Model 3 now resembles those poor guys from horror movies that had their mouths sewn closed. Tesla went for a gradual implementation – first with the Model S cone nose, then the Model X and the Model S facelift, and now the Model 3 – but it still comes as a bit of shock.
This prototype that became the subject of the latest Model 3 impromptu photo shooting was displayed at the Gigafacotry for the owners/investors event held earlier in January. Those present took advantage of the rare sighting and posted a few pictures on social networks, showing us the EV from new angles.
However, it’s worth noting that everything we see is subject to change. The exterior shouldn’t be tweaked too much – we’re probably talking some fine tuning, nothing major – but the interior could be the big surprise. Whatever it ends up looking like, it’ll definitely have that large horizontal display, but whether it’ll be floating above the dashboard as demonstrated by this prototype or integrated into the center console is still up for debate.
Hopefully, very few things will still be left that way after the third and final unveil in the Model 3 saga, which is reportedly scheduled for the next few months (most likely, March). Given past experiences, we wouldn’t get our hopes too high, though.
After the press had raged on for a few months, the Model 3 descended into a cone of shadow and people started to forget about it. It would get a mention every time there was talk of future electric vehicles and the Chevy Bolt versus Tesla Model 3 duel held the front pages of the automotive media for a while, but the very few images of the car were already pretty well sunk into the subconscious of the public.
But the subconscious can be a very treacherous thing. It can very easily have you convinced about something, even though that might not be entirely true. And just as well it can use the similarities between the Model S and Model 3 and leave you the impression the smaller sedan is just a sleek as the company's bestseller to date.
But the reality is that it’s not: it’s significantly bulkier, less athletic, more condensed. That grille-less nose will also take some getting used to as it lacks even that narrow crevasse found on the Model S. After a lifetime of cars with radiator grilles, the Model 3 now resembles those poor guys from horror movies that had their mouths sewn closed. Tesla went for a gradual implementation – first with the Model S cone nose, then the Model X and the Model S facelift, and now the Model 3 – but it still comes as a bit of shock.
This prototype that became the subject of the latest Model 3 impromptu photo shooting was displayed at the Gigafacotry for the owners/investors event held earlier in January. Those present took advantage of the rare sighting and posted a few pictures on social networks, showing us the EV from new angles.
However, it’s worth noting that everything we see is subject to change. The exterior shouldn’t be tweaked too much – we’re probably talking some fine tuning, nothing major – but the interior could be the big surprise. Whatever it ends up looking like, it’ll definitely have that large horizontal display, but whether it’ll be floating above the dashboard as demonstrated by this prototype or integrated into the center console is still up for debate.
Hopefully, very few things will still be left that way after the third and final unveil in the Model 3 saga, which is reportedly scheduled for the next few months (most likely, March). Given past experiences, we wouldn’t get our hopes too high, though.
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