Unveiled! The Tesla Model S

Tesla today has taken the tarp off its heavily hyped Model S luxury sedan.

While they haven’t released much about the specs of the Model S, one thing is for sure: The body is beautiful, if quite a departure from the looks of its sister, the Tesla Roadster.  

The Tesla Model S is getting style comparisons to the Jaguar XF and the Buick Lucerne - the Jag in the front and rear and the Buick in the silhouette. I’m not sure I completely agree with the Buick comparison, but I definitely see some modern Jag in the design. Take a look at the pictures, and let us know if you agree.

Note the sleek coupe-like styling and glass roof! Also, the interior is said to feature a center rack consisting entirely of a touch-screen interface to control audio, HVAC, navigation, and whatever other extras Tesla loads into the Model S. 

When Tesla first announced plans for an all-electric sedan, they said it would cost around $60K. Official pricing, or even an availability date, haven’t been set. 

Will Tesla deliver on the Model S? What do you think of it?

-tgriffith

*UPDATE*

Acording to a Tesla press release, the anticipated base price of the Model S is $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500. The company has not released options pricing. Three battery pack choices will offer a range of 160, 230 or 300 miles per charge. The standard Model S does 0-60 mph in under six seconds and will have an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph, with sport versions expected to achieve 0-60 mph acceleration well below five seconds.

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Acura NSX: Collectible or Forgettable?

When I was entering high school, I helped my dad restore a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. (By “helped,” I mean “watched,” but I still felt involved just by being there as he worked!)

As the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona ended last week, I remembered that old Toronado and wondered which cars from today my son might someday collect or even restore. Of course there isn’t a scientific way to predict what models will skyrocket in value, but we can certainly take educated guesses.

Below are four modern cars I believe will eventually sit behind red ropes at auctions or await restoration in garages across America.

I could’ve really used any full-size American SUV here - the Suburban, the Navigator, the Yukon, etc. I think the Escalade is unique, because it’s the only one that has taken on an image like no others: A symbol of excess used by athletes and rappers nationwide. In 40 years or so, we’ll look back on these and remember a time when America truly believed that size mattered.

Cars that influence the design of their competitors’ cars are truly innovative, and the xB came along at a time when there was nothing like it. Soon we had the Honda Element and Ford Flex. The first Scion xB will be remembered and collected because of the impression it has made on today’s youth.

The Mustang is a perennial collectible… I still fantasize about one day having a cherry red ’65 in my garage. The Shelby GT500KR is the version of Mustang today that is rare enough to warrant collectibility in the future. Buy one now and watch as its value increases over the coming decades.

Honda recently scrapped their plans to build a new NSX, but the ones in existence are primed to take on a near-mythical quality. This is the car that caused Ferrari to rethink their build quality, for goodness sakes. Find one now and pay what you must for it, because this car will bring in even bigger bucks in the future, assuming you (or your grandkids) are ever ready to sell it.

Which modern cars do you think will be collected in the future?

-tgriffith

 

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In 2007, Toyota built 1.3 million cars in America.

Alfa Romeo: Coming to America!

Of the 15.5 million vehicles built in America in 2007, foreign manufacturers built 6 million. That’s a number primed to grow as the U.S. automakers struggle and foreign companies see value in increasing operations here.

Cars will always be built in America, even if our homegrown Big 3 go belly up.

Even Alfa Romeo, who withdrew from the U.S. market in 1995, is coming back with new models and could possibly move production here in 2011 or 2012.

Honda has built cars in the U.S. for years, with a major operation in Ohio and another being built in Indiana. Last year 1 million Hondas were built in America and the Indiana plant will add capacity to build 200,000 more. Honda is also considering moving production of the Fit stateside, as Honda is looking for ways to keep up with demand. Honda’s overall sales were down 28% in October of this year, but sales of the Fit rose by that same percentage.

Toyota has a similar philosophy, having recently opened a new plant in Texas, and is building another in Mississippi to handle the production of Highlanders and Prius hybrids. In 2007, Toyota built 1.3 million cars in America.

BMW produced 150,000 vehicles in America last year and is investing to bring their capacity up to 240,000. Production of their X3 will move from Europe to South Carolina. Nissan is building a new plant in Mississippi, Kia is building a new plant in Georgia and Hyundai recently completed a plant in Alabama. Volkswagen will build a U.S. production plant in Tennessee, where they intend to build a car designed for the U.S. market.

All of these new plants are paying decent wages and have real advantages over Detroit, with younger workers and much lower benefit costs.

There’s a lot to be excited about in America’s future of auto production, even if that future is void of GM and Chrysler.

If automotive jobs are still in America, what are your thoughts on foreign companies providing those jobs?

-tgriffith

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