2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011
This week's most discussed car may well be the 2012 Tesla Model S. And that's by design.
Startup electric-car company Tesla Motors opened its Fremont, California, factory for the last three days to let a select list of customers, reservation holders, and journalists from around the world see, touch, and ride in--but not drive--three beta versions of its upcoming Model S all-electric sport sedan.
Tesla says it will start delivering the first "Signature Edition" 2012 Model S cars to customers just nine months from now. The first beta prototypes that use some parts built on production tooling will be assembled later this month, according to manufacturing VP Gilbert Passin.
After bringing you news about the performance of the new Model S Sport, plus our first ride impressions, we thought it might be time for some photos.
The images in the gallery below were shot earlier today on the grounds of the Fremont factory, formerly a joint Toyota-GM assembly plant known as New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. or NUMMI.
2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011
With two dozen or more Tesla executives and staff on hand, a small group of journalists climbed all over the cars before rides on the high-speed banked test track that came as part of the sprawling 5.5 million-square-foot Fremont plant.
So imagine yourself just outside the Telsa Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] plant, walking around and looking into the new Model S. Enjoy.
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