Tesla Model S Tops Customer Satisfaction Rating

Though its stock price has fallen andthe NHTSA is launching an investigation into a pair of on-the-road fires, the Tesla Model S remains the darling of both Wall Street and the automotive world. Besides, all that matters at the end of the day is happy customers, and the Tesla Model S has the happiest customers of any car out there.

A recent Consumer Reports satisfaction survey gave the Tesla a 99/100 rating, the highest rating the independent product testing magazine has seen in years. That is nearly perfect, and the next-best car, the Porsche Boxster, got a 95, with the Porsche 911 and the Chevy Volt both tying at 91 points each.

Consumer Reports also gave the Tesla Model S a 99/100 rating in its own tests, and the electric luxury sedan is one of the safest cars ever tested by the NHTSA. That said, the survey was conducted in the spring, before the first Tesla flambe made front page news, though the owners of both ruined Teslas have pledged to buy again.

That is some serious customer satisfaction, and another feather for Elon Musk’s crowded hat.

Source: Consumer Reports

Porsche Goes Green with New 36 MPG Blu Edition 911

Rumors are starting to surface that Porsche’s next special edition will be a low-emissions, low-mass, and low-tech entry level 911 dubbed “the Blu Edition” as a follow-up to its recent recognition for green-tech leadership and the success of its sold-out Panamera hybrid. The pictures shown here certainly don’t appear to be real photographs, but Porsche hasn’t been historically shy when it comes to producing limited-run cars in outlandish color schemes, so these might be spot-on!

So, it’s hideous. The second downside is that the Blu Edition is expected to find its “low emissions” courtesy of a slightly detuned variant of the Porsche 911′s current 3.4-liter “corporate” flat-six engine. It’s said to develop “just” 345 hp, but matches the standard car’s 287 lb-ft of torque. With that in mind, the new Porsche 911 Blu Edition should go from 0-60 in just about 5 seconds flat, and hit a top speed said to be 18 kmh shy of the standard 911, which works out to 266 kmh (about 165 mph). The “low-power” Porsche will also have extremely low fuel consumption, however, and is expected to give back better than 36 mpg.

We’ll keep you posted on any Blu Edition news that pops up between now and the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, where the Blu Edition is expected to debut.

Source | Photos: TechVehi, GTSpirit.