If Tesla delivers on its promises.
It’s a classic Tesla Roadster . The original Tesla Roadster was a landmark in the development of the Tesla cars we love today, such as the Model S and the Model 3. Although it was built on a Lotus chassis and was limited to a handful of thousand units worldwide, the Roadster was the first mainstream electric sports car you could buy.
It was also one of the fastest, with a 248-horsepower (184 kilowatt) base electric motor and a range of 244 mi (392 kmh) on a single recharge. In its four-year production, four variations were available. They ranged in power from the 248-hp (292 kW) base model to the 288hp (221 kW) 2.5 Sport. In 2012, production was officially ended with 2,450 copies sold in over 30 countries.Five years later, Tesla finally has a successor to the beloved Roadster. Or at least a concept. The company displayed the new Tesla semitruck alongside some outrageous performance figures and a six-figure price tag. The question that everyone is asking is: How does this new model compare with the original?
The original Tesla Roadster’s most powerful trim, the 2011 2.5 Sport, produced 288 horsepower (215 kW) as well as 295 pound-feet (405 Newton-meters) of torque thanks to a 53 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery pack. The BorgWarner single-speed transmission paired it to the Roadster, which can sprint from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and return a range of up 244 miles.
The Roadster 2.5 Sport is priced at around $128,500. This vehicle was not meant to be cheap. The 2.5 model had a few unique features that were not available in the standard model. These included a revised front fascia and directional forged wheels. New seats. An optional touchscreen display with back-up camera is also available. However, the new Tesla Roadster is quite something. We’re going to take all the performance details mentioned with a grain, as the new Roadster won’t be available until at least 2020. Elon Musk claims a 0-60mph time of only 1.9 seconds, which would theoretically make it the fastest car ever made.
According to reports, the electric motor can produce 7,376 pound-feet torque (! The motor is capable of producing 7,376 pound-feet of torque (!). We remain skeptical. You’ll have to pay a lot for all the performance. The price of the new Tesla Roadster starts at $200,000 or $250,000 if your desire to have the “Founder’s Edition”. Only 1,000 of these models will be made. To reserve one, buyers will need to make a deposit of $50,000. Production is expected to begin sometime in 2020.