4 ms·
It's a Lotus Elise that outperforms the Lotus Elise on straightaways. Faults or not, I have a hard time believing that they're aren't going to sell cars based
by bmelton 16y ago
It's a Lotus Elise that outperforms the Lotus Elise on straightaways. Faults or not, I have a hard time believing that they're aren't going to sell cars based on that fact alone.
That they got covered on Top Gear is the car equivalent of a startup getting featured on TechCrunch -- good or bad, they got a LOT of eyeballs on the car, and while the review wasn't 100% positive, it wasn't entirely negative either.
The flip side of the equation is whether or not TopGear actually exerts any purchasing influence whatsoever. Since most of their reviews are of Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, etc., do people buying cars at that caliber actually buy based on practical reviews? I'm guessing not.
The Murcielago is a very impractical car, and I doubt anyone who was interested in buying a Lambo has changed their mind because TopGear exposed that its windshield wipers make noise over 100 miles per hour.
- rythie 16y agoThe point of a Lotus Elise is that it has excellent handling, you don't buy it for straight line speed.
- bmelton 16y agoTraditionally, that is true. But this isn't a Lotus Elise, it's an electric. Many people will buy Hybrids/Eco-cars to make a statement, and if it happens to smoke your gas-guzzler in a drag race, all the better. The point is that the Tesla Roadster has selling points that aren't invalidated by a negative review on Top Gear and that, even if it were, they did a good job of making it look like a ton of fun, if not entirely practical. People paying 6 figures for cars are seldom looking for practicality in the same sense that most people do -- they're looking for something special, and there's no denying that the Tesla has that in spades. Edit: Swapped 'hybrid' for 'electric'.
- rythie 16y agoMy comment was a direct response to "It's a Lotus Elise that outperforms the Lotus Elise on straightaways. Faults or not, I have a hard time believing that they're aren't going to sell cars based on that fact alone."
- bmelton 16y agoThen you are correct.
- unwind 16y agoA hybrid between what and what, exactly? The Tesla Roadster is 100% electric, there's no hybrid technology involved.
- bmelton 16y agoI was apparently editing that right as you made that remark. You are of course correct.
- chadgeidel 16y agoWil Shipley sold his Elise SC (supercharged - about 250 HP in a ~2100 pound package) because the Tesla roadster was faster around an autocross track. http://wilshipley.com/blog/2008/09/tesla-v-supercharged-lotus-elise.html http://wilshipley.com/blog/2008/09/tesla-v-supercharged-lotu...