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Watch Wired go hands-on with Tesla Model S 4.0

Our friends at Wired recently got their hands on the latest software release for the Tesla Model S. The 4.0 release adds a few interesting bits of functionality to the EV, including voice control for the navigation and telephone systems as well as Slacker Radio. Tesla employed Google voice-recognition software for the Model S, and Wired says the system is "far easier and more intuitive than most." High praise.
The update also adds another level of customization to the EV's steering wheel controls. The right knob now offers finer audio volume control while the left knob can be configured to handle everything from temperature setting to fan speed or even the opening and closing of the sunroof.
Wired also reports the 17-inch touch screen on the Model S now seems more responsive and that the update includes new graphical displays for the vehicle's range. Other nice tricks include revised throttle response and an adjustment to the vehicle's door handles - now owners need only approach their Model S for the door handles to pop out from their hiding places. You can check out the video below for a closer look.

Saleen Tesla Model S announced as tuner's first EV

Saleen has made its name on building some of the meanest modern muscle cars around, which was why it was so surprising when it announced in December that its next project will go electric. Has the famed pony car modifier lost its mind? Or is it right in thinking the performance potential of the Tesla Model S is too big to ignore?
Details remain scant about the project, but Saleen promises to transform the Model S into an electric supercar. Power is getting a boost but exactly how much more than Tesla's own 416-horsepower Model S P85 is not known. Saleen has also not set a completion date for the car yet, but it promises that renderings and specs will be ready soon. The only real detail that Saleen gives about its version of the Model S is that it has "a revolutionary design all our own," so we're expecting some visual differentiation to go with its inevitable augmented power.
"I fully intend to produce one of the most compelling Tesla's to ever hit the roadway," said Steve Saleen, company founder and CEO. You can read the entire brief press release below.

Analyst predicts GM will buy Tesla in 2014

There's little question that Tesla has come at the automotive industry as an outsider. But will it last as an outsider for much longer? Not if you ask Yra Harris of Praxis Trading. According to USA Today, the veteran financial analyst recently predicted on CNBC that General Motors will try to buy Tesla in 2014.
It certainly wouldn't be the first time that GM acquired another automaker. It did just that when it purchased the rights to the Hummer brand from AM General in 1999 and completed its takeover of Saab the year after. But, of course, The General has since divested from both, shutting down its Pontiac and Saturn brands in the process. Daewoo and Oldsmobile are gone too, as is Geo. Chevrolet is to be withdrawn from Europe, and over the past few years, GM has sold its minority stake in Isuzu, Subaru, Suzuki and PSA Peugeot-Citroën as well.
Of course, none of these are dedicated electric carmakers like Tesla is, and the Volt may not be doing as well as Detroit had initially hoped. But does that mean it's ready to start expanding its brand portfolio again? With all due respect to Mr. Harris, somehow we doubt it - especially with Tesla currently enjoying sky-high market valuation. The company's market capitalization stands at over $18 billion - more than 100-plus times its earnings. That would make mounting a Tesla takeover a hugely risky and costly endeavor unless Wall Street tempers its stock value greatly.