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Yee haw! Today I test As I mentioned I'd been invited to Tesla's Santa Monica store for a test drive, and this afternoon I rode down there and hung out for a couple of hours ogling cars. And then I drove one... whoa! So you've read the reviews, you know what everyone says, there is this incredible torque right off the line, and it goes smoothly 0-60 in 3.7s and 40-80 in no time at all. But you have no idea how that really feels until you've sat in one and done it yourself. It is amazing. There is a slight whoosh and bam! you are going 60mph, with your body flattened into the bucket seats. Amazing. I could do that all day :) The cars are truly teeny, with just enough room for two people and a storage compartment for a golf bag. Perfect for traveling from A to B, just you and a friend, but forget anything you ever thought about carrying "stuff" along. The soft top is easily removed and replaced, and leaves considerable headroom; but you will feel like you are 8 inches off the road while driving (which you are :) The car handles well, steering is tight, and the ride is smoother than you might think considering the size of the car; I believe because of the batteries it is heavier than you might think, too. The regenerative braking makes the car feel like it has a manual transmission; you let your foot off the gas, and it slows down immediately. You basically control how fast you're going with just the accelerator, and barely need brakes. I have to say I am left wanting one badly, not to have an electric car, but to have a car which drives like this, which oh by the way happens to be electric. Anyway it was great fun, much more than a good excuse for an 80 mile ride...
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