Front grille, or lack thereof

[IDarwin]

Some people have complained about the lack of a front grille, I think omitting it is the right choice when leaving the past behind. As I posted on the blue birdie site:
https://twitter.com/Ian_Darwin/status/715916654656495624

@elonmusk Pls ignore complaints about the @TeslaMotors Model 3 front grill - good to show that car is not gasping for breath every second!​

Not only does an ICE car need tons of air to make all that CO2, but in climes along the northern US and southern Canada, that icky salty winter slush can get into the engine compartment via the grille.

Is anyone here going to miss the lack of a front grille?

 

[teslaliving]

Of the 3 Tesla-made cars I think it has a front that you get to like the fastest. I didnt like the S nose cone but got used to it. I still don't like the X front. Also the 3 front is more amenable to a license plate. A plate looks dumb on a S and a X but I think it would look fine on the 3.

 

[TrevP]

Franz said he was never happy with the whole nose cone on the Model S but it was done as to not alienate buyers and keep the Model S looking "normal". Now that Tesla is established they can start being a bit more adventurous.

We're so used to grilles that anything without them looks "strange". Tesla has decided they don't need a grille anymore and want the cars to be more aerodynamic so they did away with it on the X and now the 3. Model S will follow suit in due time once they get around to doing a facelift. I don't expect a full redesign of the S for a few more years since all the cars now look familiar.

I'm with you on the while license plate thing. Ontario requires them on the front but Quebec doesn't. I think it's a silly law.

 

[teslaliving]

Ive been driving without a front plate for 2 years on my S. Massachusetts requires them but its not a moving violation -- they can't pull you over for it. I don't do public/meter parking and I live out in the country so I'm pretty safe. You just need to find a place that will pass it for inspection without the plate on it.

 

[TrevP]

Would this slight alteration make people happier?? (not my handywork)

 

[teslaliving]

I saw that posted by someone. I like it more but then it leaves the problem of the plate for those that need/want a plate.

 

[TrevP]

Elon just asked on Twitter for the link to the image. He said they're working on tweaking the front end.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/716750603813318660

 

[TE3LA]

I prefer the original design.

 

[Van Shrider]

I need some place to mount the front license plate, in Ohio the like to pull you over just to check the stickers on the plate.....Yes, I've been pulled over twice this year for that... Don't think I'm being profiled with four kids in the car.

 

[aviator147]

Would this slight alteration make people happier??

View attachment 20

I personally love how that looks

 

[DaGlot]

Much prefer the new design - very shark/manta ray like. In fact all the exterior choices are dead on for my taste. As for the interior it sounds like that will see interesting changes so reserving judgement there.

 

[Skione65]

Would this slight alteration make people happier??

View attachment 20

TrevP,
Resounding YES!

On that note......I have seen Model 3's with grilles....as in my Avatar. Also others with I believe a different grille. Then the 'grilleless' reveal ~3. My question in regards to that is we're these all prototypes leading up to the reveal version?

Ski

 

[TrevP]

Tesla's process is very much like software

Alpha, Beta and Production Candidate

The 3 cars at the reveal I was told are engineering validation cars which is a fancy way of saying they're alpha prototypes or the first "drivable" cars. They're built to test in the real world all the computer designs they're done so to validate physically how things work.

They will discover all sorts of things that need tweaking so they will redesign parts as required and keep refining the cars. Those refinements are put into another batch which are the beta prototypes. The betas are used for real world testing like snow, rain, heat etc...

A bit more tweaking then they build production candidates which are used to verify the factory tooling.

It's the production candidates that are used in the second unveiling to the public.

Tesla is a creature of habit so expect the Model 3 outer design to stay intact in terms of shape, small changes to fascia are expected. Traditionally it's the interiors that change the most with Tesla but during the reveal the engineers said they don't have a lot of time between now and production to change much so we'll see but typically the interior changes a lot.

Elon was on a Twitter rampage yesterday asking for feedback from the public so you can bet they will dig into the responses and prioritize what they feel is important.

 

[sashimibandit]

My first impression was I felt that a grill was missing then I started to think more about it. Yes I'm used to seeing grills on many cars but this is not just any car, it's electric and so it doesn't need a grill for the engine to breathe like other non-electric cars would. From a design standpoint I think it's time for us to adapt to the model 3 design and the purpose along with it, as opposed to the other way around. A bit of stepping outside the comfort zone so to speak.

Also another point to make, is adding a big grill may make the model 3 look more like an Aston Martin, comparison shown on this link:
http://imgur.com/r/teslamotors/am6lfKP

Perhaps a slight adjustment like this would be nice so it doesn't have an overpowering look at the front bumper with all that empty space? https://twitter.com/diggtacos/status/716756067699437568

What do you guys think?

 

[cogarch]

What is a bit disconcerting is that the bodywork is shaped to accommodate a grille without it being there. They should do away with this and just smooth the front of the bonnet over.

That said, don't think an electric car doesn't need a grille. The motor still generates a bit of heat, and I was surprised to find my eGolf has a radiator to cool it!

 

[Niklas]

Would this slight alteration make people happier??

View attachment 20

for that little tweak

 

[otakar]

Show it with a US license plate on it and we shall see what still looks good. Law is law...

 

[Ken Hixson]

Definitely doesn't need a grill but a "softer" rounding of the bonnet should improve the aerodynamics. I like most of the alternatives that have been proposed from adding the Model X strip with logo and other rounding alternatives.

I will definitely purchase the Model 3 regardless if they soften the front or keep it as is - overall a beautiful car with sexy lines!

 

[Model 3 lover]

Would this slight alteration make people happier??

View attachment 20

I like the original design and also your post image. The good thing in PA, we don't have the front license plate.

 

[jetwet1]

Someone has come up with stickers that can be added to the grille area to improve the look, while some of them are a little on the silly side, there are a couple that look good and they shouldn't mess up the aerodynamics.

https://www.tesla3grilles.com/collections/all