Of course, the centrepiece of the interior is the massive screen that controls everything from audio and entertainment to vehicle dynamics and information. Onboard music options include Slacker Radio and TuneIn, on top of whatever you carry on your smartphone, which can be easily paired via Bluetooth. The sunroof can be opened using a swipe and you can surf the internet or track your Wh/km usage or dial up connections in your phonebook. You can even ‘name’ your vehicle. I named this Solid White tester White Lightning. Of course.

While not enabled by the car’s screen itself, the technology behind it, a 3G connection whose data costs are covered for four years with the price of purchase, allows any Tesla to receive over-the-air updates to its electronics. For example, while equipped with the Autopilot safety suite with features like blind-spot warning, auto emergency braking and lane departure warning, that system does not yet include obstacle avoidance steering along with the existing emergency stopping and adaptive cruise control. However, once Tesla sorts out the code, owners will be prompted for the update and can download it overnight or while parked at work, and the next day it would be part of their car’s ever-growing suite of safety and convenience features.

While the Model S is a blast to drive, it is also a relaxing commuter when optioned with the Autopilot camera, radar and sonar sensors that are the hardware for self-parking and autonomous driving functions. Autopilot’s future parking skills will be to identify and park in parallel parking spots, pull up to a Supercharger and even park in your garage at home. In adaptive cruise mode, Autopilot currently maintains distance to cars ahead and can follow traffic right down to a standstill and even hold for a few seconds then proceed again. After a few seconds, though, it requires a tap of the accelerator to resume. Future updates will add the ability for the Model S to follow the curves and lane markings on the road, and even automatically change lanes simply by tapping the turn signal in the intended direction of an available space.

As cool as these self-driving features are, when given only a limited 48 hours behind the wheel of our favourite SpaceBoat, you tend to get greedy with the driving experience. While longstanding performance brands like Porsche and BMW have to deal with comparisons to more visceral, engaging cars of previous generations, the Tesla is burdened with no such past (except, perhaps the limited-volume Roadster). The steering is quick but light, and the car responds eagerly to driver inputs, the chassis eager, and of course, the motors responsive in a way we have never before experienced or even imagined. It is, despite all the technology, a driver’s car, and that is what seals our affection for it.

Connect with Autos.ca