Walking up to the eagerly awaited Tesla S, you can’t help but have a sense of familiarity when looking at the stunning saloon, especially the smokey grey version I was about to get behind the wheel of. Everything becomes clear when you hear that the chief designer also worked on a certain Aston Martin and, sliding into the cockpit, I can tell you I felt every inch the superspy. ‘We’ve been expecting you Mr Bond’ should be their marketing tag-line.
The flowing, sporty lines and beautiful styling simply add to the feeling that you’re dealing with something special here and, while James Bond is renowned for his use of modern tech and gadgets, even Q would be impressed by the Tesla’s space-age layout.
Sitting in the comfortable driving seat you quickly realise that every other car is now a relic of the past. Gone is the cascade of buttons and switches that clutter the dashboard so favoured by the rest of the industry. In the Tesla you simply get a leather stitched steering wheel and seventeen inch touchscreen which acts as the command centre for the car, giving you everything from climate control, music and engine settings right through to accessing the internet. The car will even update its own set-up using data sent direct from Tesla HQ!
It’s hard to believe the Tesla S is actually a four door saloon. It has a cavernous interior that you’d expect in a stretch limousine, which is achieved because there is no cumbersome gear box or drive shaft housing. Its low-slung centre of gravity coupled with its all-wheel drive dual motor system means the power is delivered smoothly and you can go from nought to sixty in a staggering three point one seconds when you have it in the ‘INSANE’ mode and, yes, there is actually an INSANE mode option!
The Tesla S will give you an impressive range of three hundred and ten miles and the new Super Charger points now set up around the UK means you can recharge in just twenty minutes while you grab a cappuccino. This performance, coupled with minuscule running costs – no road tax or congestion charge plus tax incentives – means that not only will you have all the style of a superspy but you’ll have plenty left in your pocket to buy those vodka martinis.
You can book a test drive by contacting Tesla in Knutsford www.teslamotors.com.
