2010 Tesla Roadster Sport first drive | Hacker News Reader

2010 Tesla Roadster Sport first drive

reviews.cnet.com

23 pointsedw51912 comments

"Surprisingly, it was intuitive and easy to input a street address using the minimal controls, all while stopped at traffic lights (the system doesn't allow input while the car is in motion)." (emphasis added)

I've never heard of this practice before. Is it common for cars with built in navigation to lock the controls while in motion?

Part of me thinks 'That's nice. People are less likely to crash' and part of me thinks 'If I ever get one like this, the first thing I'm gonna do is figure out how to disable the lock.'

Yes, it's very common with built-in navigation systems that are standard or optional equipment on a model. I'm not sure about after-market systems that you happen to install in the dashboard, such as the JVC unit that is shown in the article (vs the portable ones that you mount on the windshield).

EDIT: Made the distinction between factory-installed units and after market systems.

Thanks.

Now another question. Why would they do this? Isn't it plausible that the passenger/navigator is trying to update their navigation settings?

Plausible, but would probably be a minority of cases considering that most people drive alone in their vehicle.

Maybe they could set it so that weight on the passenger seat unlocks it?

I was just thinking about the weight sensor. Still, I think that there's too much baby-sitting going on.

Liability most likely - dictated by lawyers!

Most of these systems have "cheat codes" you can enter to unlock them.

This is definitely written like a tech review, not a car review.

The sort of minor interior refresh Tesla did is not uncommon for larger car companies to do every year or two. The complete redesign that happens every five to eight years is a lot more complete than what Tesla has done.

Also, a big weight toward the rear of the car will (all else equal) lead to oversteer. (To the uninitiated, understeer = "I missed the turn", oversteer = "I spun out"). A little oversteer is what you want in a sports car, but that can be adjusted pretty easily by tuning the anti-roll-bar stiffness. Most cars from the factory are tuned to understeer slightly, as most consumers who lose control of their car expect to leave the road facing forwards and not backwards.

Looks sweet.

Is there a reason it has no power steering?

Possibly to save energy. Possibly to increase performance. Power steering takes juice. It also adds weight, which takes more juice to move, and could reduce the performance. Do many other roadsters have power steering?

With a car that small and light, power steering isn't really necessary. It adds weight and diminishes the driver's ability to feel what the car is doing and feel the road through the wheel.

Exactly. At that point it's more of a trade-off between luxury and performance.

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