I think your power to weight ratios were equal which explains the comparable performance.

 

They're certainly not slow and it's odd being able to accelerate that fast with zero drama.

Chap at work has one and loves it (his is the middle version). I think it's bloody awful and the build 'quality' is pretty subpar.

 

I keep hearing mixed views on them. Personally I still see it as the car I might move to (have a couple of idea's on next car, but this is a big contender).

Some love them, but others say they leave them cold and the driving experience is sterile.

Performance at highway speed drops off dramatically and you'd pull away as the M140i still has bags of torque while the Tesla's is diminishing quickly, but you need to get into illegal speeds to see it happen which kind of makes it academic on the road.

Also the ludicrous mode apparently will wreck the drivetrain and only any use for the odd showoff for mates, as Porsche have liked to highlight with their marketing.

 

I keep hearing mixed views on them. Personally I still see it as the car I might move to (have a couple of idea's on next car, but this is a big contender).

Some love them, but others say they leave them cold and the driving experience is sterile.

Performance at highway speed drops off dramatically and you'd pull away as the M140i still has bags of torque while the Tesla's is diminishing quickly, but you need to get into illegal speeds to see it happen which kind of makes it academic on the road.

Also the ludicrous mode apparently will wreck the drivetrain and only any use for the odd showoff for mates, as Porsche have liked to highlight with their marketing.

Chap at work will be £5k a year better off compared to his previous 320d, which over the four year period of our company car scheme is a no brainier...I'd put up with it for £20k! He loves it but he's a gadget geek and isn't really fussed about the actual car.

For me, I think it as ugly as sin and I struggle with the interior and everything being controlled through the big screen. The one thing my colleague has commented on is the lack of HUD / speedo directly in front of the driver. The vegan leather feels very thin and cheap too me...it makes BMW Dakota leather feel nice! The fit of the body panels is a joke; his drivers door sits so proud when it's closed, it looks like it's only just on the latch. Nothing he cares about because it's not actually his car,

 

Nothing he cares about because it's not actually his car,

Yeah I think a lot of Tesla 'owners' are actually company cars so they're the same. I prefer to take the allowance and get the car I want (the 140 would have been a nightmare in tax through the company scheme).

I'm keeping up on the EV market though - at the moment the Renault Zoe is looking like the best affordable EV, but I said I never own a Renault again after a Clio I had many many years ago.

The trouble is most affordable EV's are simply too boring. We really need a 'drivers car', even a MX5 or something would get people more interested I reckon as affordable sporty EV's with an emphasis on enjoyment rather than being too interested in the level of brake regeneration you're getting.

I'd like the Mini electric, but at nearly 30k on the road that's not what I'd call affordable and I wouldn't want to blow too much on an EV until I know depreciation of EV's isn't going to be a major issue.

Also, the M140i gives me such a smile still, I think it's going to be hard to give that up.

 

I keep hearing mixed views on them. Personally I still see it as the car I might move to (have a couple of idea's on next car, but this is a big contender).

Some love them, but others say they leave them cold and the driving experience is sterile.

Performance at highway speed drops off dramatically and you'd pull away as the M140i still has bags of torque while the Tesla's is diminishing quickly, but you need to get into illegal speeds to see it happen which kind of makes it academic on the road.

Also the ludicrous mode apparently will wreck the drivetrain and only any use for the odd showoff for mates, as Porsche have liked to highlight with their marketing.

Well,
We were on a dual carriageway, with no traffic at times, so we were having a proper go.
I suspect it was a Tesla Model 3 performance, as the 'normal' long range dual motor version, does 0-60 in 4.6 and 145 mph max , which I would have thought might have struggled to stay with me.
The performance version does 0-60 in 3.7 secs and on to 155mph max, and has 660nm torque.
This seems to be plenty, and it was stuck to my bumper from 30mph up to an indicated 145mph. It couldn't pull any gap to me when I was following, and I couldn't pull away when it was following me.
There was no drop off in performance as the speed rose, we were literally identical, and seeing as my M140i has 576nm torque, and over 400bhp, this (with my weight advantage) would suggest equal performance.

 

This seems to be plenty, and it was stuck to my bumper from 30mph up to an indicated 145mph.

Er, I presume you live in Germany then since we're on a public forum........

Anyway, I'm surprised by that but as looking at the torque curve on Tesla's it falls away massively once they get over 40 mph, but I guess on the road they have enough left to still keep going - also the loss of torque though the 140's gearing might be similar so more matched than you think on the road, interesting to hear that.

Either way, just look at how the range is effected by speed and you'll see why they couldn't do that for very long, so you still win

 

This seems to be plenty, and it was stuck to my bumper from 30mph up to an indicated 145mph.

Er, I presume you live in Germany then since we're on a public forum........

Anyway, I'm surprised by that but as looking at the torque curve on Tesla's it falls away massively once they get over 40 mph, but I guess on the road they have enough left to still keep going - also the loss of torque though the 140's gearing might be similar so more matched than you think on the road, interesting to hear that.

Either way, just look at how the range is effected by speed and you'll see why they couldn't do that for very long, so you still win

LOL Yes after our little 3 or 4 mile jaunt, he did head back the way he came, so probably went to charge his battery !
That graph is for the 'normal' dual motor long range battery, not the performance model, so maybe the performance has a slower torque drop off rate ?
I'd estimate the Tesla weighs a fair bit more too.
Saying that, I don't think my MPG would be much to shout about
Edit, found a model 3 performance dyno print out.

https://i.imgur.com/hFRle6i.jpg

Looks like 463HP and 494ft torque, so more bhp but less torque compared to mine (but also heavier).

 

i've put 10000km on my model 3 performance. its acceleration is staggering. 0-60 in 3.2 around. with recent updates, peak motor hp is 550hp or north.

this dyno is wheel hp, before recent updates, and start of graph is with partial power so not showing its full potential. percentages on colored lines represent battery state of charge.

while HP tapers with speed (its a single forward-gear) , even doing a 60-90mph pull, its doing it with a ton of horsepower under the curve (410hp avg). it wouldnt trail most cars on the road unless the race starts at 80, 90 and upwards.

***

as a vehicle it is quite fantastic. ive got zero issues with perceived-quality. the day to day living with it is superb. nav system puts idrive to shame. if you want to go to e.g. Tesco, you touch (1) search bar, touch (2) "T", touch (3) "E", and 90% chance the instant search results shows exactly what you want. as opposed to clicking to navigation, clicking new address, click to confirm country/city, click click click click to input address or run a hapless search with terrible results.

***

as an enthusiast vehicle... it falls short. rapid acceleration is a cheap thrill. theres no aural sensation of a screaming motor. no user engagement of swapping a cog. no anticipation of a shift. no mechanical snap of a gear change. steering is completely artificial (though car moves extremely well for its weight).

its the difference between taking a photo of a "real" camera and snapping a shot with an iphone.

 

^^
It's super easy to live with isn't it? I was a huge fan of thr large touch screen when I drove a friend's model s for a week.

I will likely end up in a model 3 in 3-4 years when battery tech has taken a big leap forward.

 

^^
It's super easy to live with isn't it? I was a huge fan of thr large touch screen when I drove a friend's model s for a week.

I will likely end up in a model 3 in 3-4 years when battery tech has taken a big leap forward.

the nice stuff are the non-obvious things people never talk about: like how if you need to move the car down the driveway, you dont feel bad for not having warmed up the motor and burning off carbon deposits. driving around town you glide along using a single pedal (due to regen) and the quietness makes the car virtually disappear.

if you lease/pcp the car, no worries about longevity of the battery. but you might miss the audio pleasure and theatre of that bassy bmw i6 cold start-up.

 

the nice stuff are the non-obvious things people never talk about: like how if you need to move the car down the driveway, you dont feel bad for not having warmed up the motor and burning off carbon deposits. driving around town you glide along using a single pedal (due to regen) and the quietness makes the car virtually disappear.

This is why I'll probably get one in a year or two - we're a 2 car household, but having an EV and an ICE sort of gives the best of both worlds. For short trips and local plodding the EV's ideal, whereas for distance and holidays the petrol gives the benefit of long distance without the need to wait at charging stations.

Bought the M140i outright, but don't really want to do that with an EV, still not sure whether to wait for a used Model 3 or just go new with finance deal on something like a Hyundai Kona which will be more practical with us having a big dog slouched on the back seats.

 

^^
It's super easy to live with isn't it? I was a huge fan of thr large touch screen when I drove a friend's model s for a week.

I will likely end up in a model 3 in 3-4 years when battery tech has taken a big leap forward.

the nice stuff are the non-obvious things people never talk about: like how if you need to move the car down the driveway, you dont feel bad for not having warmed up the motor and burning off carbon deposits. driving around town you glide along using a single pedal (due to regen) and the quietness makes the car virtually disappear.

if you lease/pcp the car, no worries about longevity of the battery. but you might miss the audio pleasure and theatre of that bassy bmw i6 cold start-up.

If I buy a Tesla i would want to own an ICE car along side it.

 

If I buy a Tesla i would want to own an ICE car along side it.

definitely. small, rwd, and preferably with 3 pedals...

 

Not a Tesla, but I have an i3s as our commuting and run around car and its brilliant. Super easy to drive, quick, very nippy, quirky and a great interior. As an A to B car electric vehicles are a step ahead assuming A to B is within the range of the car. I'm sure Tesla takes that to another level with better charging infrastructire, but i have a massive dislike for them and Elon, probably unfounded.

The problem with electric cars is the lack of emotion and range. Range will improve and charging will become easier, but there is a lack of excitment once you get past straight line pace and instant torque.

We are changing our other car as we have a baby on the way, and a Tesla model 3 could make sense, but after a few hours in an m340i there is no way I'm giving up petrol yet. The noise and greater involvement even with an auto box make it much more interesting, and i'll have at least one petrol vehicle for as long as I can.

 

I have an i3s as our commuting and run around car and its brilliant.

Never heard a bad word from i3 owners, but I don't think I could ever get past the fact it looks like it's running on 4 space savers, especially when specced with black wheels

 

I have an i3s as our commuting and run around car and its brilliant.

Never heard a bad word from i3 owners, but I don't think I could ever get past the fact it looks like it's running on 4 space savers, especially when specced with black wheels

Ha ha.

I'm a big fan of them too. Friend at work has one and it's a hoot to drive, I actually like the looks too.

 

There's an emerging industry based on retro-fitting electric motors to older cars. Seems to be more of a thing in France and Germany but it's very interesting. These outfits take out the engine and drivetrain and use the bay for batteries, then put a motor onto the drive wheels. So if you have a lower-mileage vehicle, where the body and chassis etc is still in good condition, the cost (I've seen £15K - £30K as examples) becomes competitive with replacing the car. And results (even with the battery weight) in a significant power-to-weight improvement too. Ditto classic cars - converting them to electric removes the problems of maintaining worn-out old engines and drivetrains.

 

I have an i3s as our commuting and run around car and its brilliant.

Never heard a bad word from i3 owners, but I don't think I could ever get past the fact it looks like it's running on 4 space savers, especially when specced with black wheels

Yes it does! Mine is the S with slightly wider track and wider tyres, but still narrow compared to many, especially the front ones. I think it gets away with it because there isnt much weight over the front. The benefit is really good steering feel, but less grip. It reminds me a bit of my old Lotus that also had narrowish front tyres.

They are fun to drive cars, but not in the traditional hot hatch sense. Also amusing dispatching 2 litre diesels at traffic lights in an 'eco' car.

 

I've just seen the reviews of the new Polestar 2 (made by Volvo) and it looks to be a real competitor for Tesla and I'd seriously consider one of those now over a Model 3. The only fly in the ointment is price though. Build quality looks to be a lot better though and I prefer the fact it's a hatchback rather than a saloon which makes it much more practical.

Some good stuff on the horizon though. Seat are bringing out an EV Cupra that looks to be the first EV 'hot hatch' and VW have a few new ones due out soon. A lot of completely new EV's are coming out too rather than simply E-conversions of an ICE so will make the whole market start to become a lot more interesting.

 

The problem with Polestar and anyone else that's not Tesla is the charging infrastructure. It's a trade off between build quality and not having the quick and reliable super charger network

Until that's sorted out then I wouldn't consider anything other than a Tesla, especially if you're doing loads of miles or long distance drives. I did and decided I couldn't live with the crap build quality so I'm sticking to petrol for now and foregoing the company car

 

I do agree that was where Tesla took a gamble and paid off massively. By getting some sort of infrastructure in place they were looking ahead to allow people then to buy the car. I do think it's only a matter of time though and the rest will catch up. Where I work we have standard (non Tesla) charge points so it's no big deal, but the infrastructure needs big investment and also make it universal with easy payment (no need for registering with multiple companies).

 

The problem with Polestar and anyone else that's not Tesla is the charging infrastructure. It's a trade off between build quality and not having the quick and reliable super charger network

Until that's sorted out then I wouldn't consider anything other than a Tesla, especially if you're doing loads of miles or long distance drives. I did and decided I couldn't live with the crap build quality so I'm sticking to petrol for now and foregoing the company car

I guess it really depends on your usage; plenty of people don't do big mileage and plugging it in every night just becomes part of your routine. My other half woke suit an EV doing maybe 10 miles a day.

They also struggle with constant speeds, motorways are not their friend. It was interesting watching how badly the i-pace was affected in Harry's video.

Totally agree re Tesla build quality; it's ****e.

 

Love the styling of current Volvo lineup but dont understand why they make the EV Polestar look like a 1980s vehicle?

Not like it's a clean-slate development, since they base it on the XC40

Ohlins dampers on a non-exotic production car is yummy though

 

I've got the Tesla model 3 bug now! They seem very expensive on the pcp costs at £450 -£550 depending on the spec but I suppose they claw it back in running costs! I'm going to keep a close eye on how much petrol I use this month to see if it's worthwhile for me!