Counterpoint: Electric Legends – What Makes Them Legendary?
[June 19, 2020]
As you can probably gather from the posts done by the different contributing authors at The Watt Car, we are not of the same opinion on all subjects. Phil Royle and myself definitely do not see eye-to-eye in terms of future electrified “legends.” With all due respect, I feel Phil approached the subject in his recent opinion piece from the context of internal combustion cars. From that standpoint, “legendary” status is often determined by rarity, influence, technical innovation, or simply popularity. To be honest, the criteria for electric cars isn’t all that different, but I view a key determinant for electrified legends as being historical context. Let’s run through Phil’s list from my point of view, adding a few I think also deserve a mention.
Phil doesn’t hold the first-generation Tesla Roadster in high regard, being as it shares a lot of components with the Lotus Elise, and is essentially a comprehensive conversion. I disagree. I believe it will be highly valued and sought after for many years to come. It was the first “wheels-on-the-road” product of Tesla Motors, a company which at the time was viewed as nothing more than a rich geek’s novelty item. Many felt the company would fold within a year or two after. As we know now, the company has survived, and is arguably doing better than ever now a decade later.
The original Tesla Roadster stands a chance of becoming a sought-after engineering accomplishment. (Image courtesy Tesla)
He rates the Falcon-winged Model X SUV relatively higher on the potential “legend” scale. I disagree here, as well. In the greater scheme of things, the Roadster is much more historically significant than the Model X. The Model X will be a footnote in the history and development of Tesla, and surviving examples will certainly draw a crowd at car shows 30 years from now. But it hasn’t significantly influenced other vehicles, and overall production and sales volume have been and remain small.
Phil and I are in agreement about the Cybertruck being a future legend. I believe it will be seen as a pivotal and game-changing product in the truck space. At the time of its unveiling, it looked like nothing else on the market. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, I’ll let you be the judge. I’m not even going to say that the 2025 Silverado or F-150 will be a Cybertruck clone. Do I think future pickups will show some influence from the Cybertruck? Yes. Just as the 1994 Dodge Ram had a major influence on the design of subsequent trucks from other brands.
Phil and I have completely opposite views about the original and revived Acura NSX. In his post, he said, “It sauntered onto the automotive scene in 2016 to as much lackluster fanfare as its first-generation predecessor did in 1990.” I agree that the 2016 debuted to “lackluster fanfare.” However, I think the original model had a much bigger impact to Honda’s reputation than the new model. Sure, the new NSX is a technological tour-de-force. But it almost seems Honda threw everything in its parts bin at the wall. It’s a hybrid, it’s turbocharged, it’s all-wheel-drive. All traditionally considered “advanced” technologies. But the original NSX had titanium connecting rods. Something no production car before or since has had that I’m aware of. Granted, it was still internal combustion technology, but talk about “out-of-the-box” thinking. The new model, while dynamically impressive, will be an interesting footnote in Honda’s history, and interesting from the standpoint that the majority of research and development on it took place in the U.S.
I agree with Phil that the BMW i8 “missed the mark.” The styling is certainly eye-catching, and on-paper, it’s a decent performer. But 0-60 in 4 seconds flat isn’t the wow factor it used to be. Straight off the showroom floor, a Chevy Camaro SS can match that figure for less than $40,000.
The Polestar 1 is certainly a head-turner from a styling standpoint, looking like a Scandinavian Mustang. But its price is anything but. At $155,000, it’s solidly in the exotic sphere. The fact that it’s “only” a four-cylinder might matter to some, but a combined power output of 600 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque is nothing to sneeze at. But again, not a transformative or game-changing product.
I would like to add a vehicle to the list that Phil didn’t mention – the Porsche Taycan. I believe it has all the makings of a future electric legend. Its dynamic performance is top-notch, running nearly neck-and-neck with the Tesla Model S P100D, and being a Porsche, being able to do it repeatedly. At $200,000+ for top models, it’s not cheap, but it has the performance pedigree to command the price, and will likely be the performance benchmark for other legacy automakers looking to build a performance EV model.
From design to performance, Porsche hit the nail on the head with the Taycan. (Image courtesy Porsche)
Another factor with EVs that’s not a factor with internal-combustion models is the finite life of battery packs. Unlike traditional cars, which simply need fresh gas, a carburetor rebuild, and new fluids, battery packs have a finite life of charge cycles. Even the so-called “million-mile” batteries will ultimately have an end-of-life. Whether some of these future legends are still on the road 30 to 50 years from now will depend on factory or aftermarket support. Battery technology is improving rapidly, and the packs decades from now will likely have much higher charge capacity, making the prospect of cars that originally had a 200-mile range being able to achieve a 500-mile range in their “classic” years.
“Legendary” status can come in history books, at concours shows, or availability and parts support. Only some will make the cut of surviving on the road 50 to 100 years from now in significant numbers. It will be interesting to see what become the Mustang or the Talbot Lago of tomorrow.
(Main image courtesy Tesla)
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