Production Tesla Roadster gets glorious hands-on: stifle your envy, please
By Darren Murph 
posted November 24th 2008 5:52PM
posted November 24th 2008 5:52PM
posted November 24th 2008 5:52PM
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Yea right. It is like a Elise except it weighs 900 pounds more and cost about $60-70k more; or more than double. The top speed is only 120 so tracking it is out. Also, from Jason's own admission you only get 125 miles per charge if you push it. You also need to add a 220V-80 amp service to charge it in the minimum 3.5 hour time.
Using it at the track is out because it tops out at 130mph? There are very few tracks where your average car has time to hit 130mph. Plus, given it's low-end grunt, I'd suspect it's a frickin' animal at an autocross (where the 125 mile range isn't a problem).
P.S. 900lbs over the Elise doesn't mean much. The thing still only weighs about what a Mini does.
Pass...
Thats what I'll be doing to you once I can afford this.
I've already seen one "in the wild" in Miami Beach:
http://flickr.com/photos/fodder/2985814348/
With a witty vanity plate, to boot!
I Think I'm in love... now to find someone willing to buy it for me....
Does it go up to Ramming Speed?
This is a great car and a great concept. The only thing I would change right now is the cockpit entry. You can already see scratches on the side of the well where the driver has to step over the side of the well to get in the car.
That aside, I hope this gets real affordable, real fast!
Dear Washington,
Please stop bailing out flailing automotive companies that are run by greedy incompetent CEO's that killed the electric car. Please take those billions of dollars and invest them in start ups like Tesla that are full of fresh ideas and might actually do something positive for our country and a return on investment to boot.
Sincerely,
Reasonable American People
K thnx bye
i think this car's what the future will be, until your neighbor's dog doesn't hear it coming...
why was this not on Engadget's holiday gift guide: for him?
wow, it's like a porsche, lotus, lambo, and a prius put together!
why are there no videos of it screaming along silently? i want to hear how quiet it is while doing 100mph. yet every video around for it puts a soundtrack over the actual bits of footage i want to hear. pisses me off.
How much are they?
Exactly where do the golf clubs go?
I did listen to TWIT and I have to say Jason just sounds like a kid with a new toy. He admits it only get 125 miles if you drive it like it should be driven. So in my mind this is like the Pontiac Fiero. A 2 seater commuter car that offers some performance for $110,000 plus. Tax and wiring up your house not included.
He also mention they could drop the price in half by removing the carbon fiber and stuff. This would be a incorrect assumption unless you expect all the performance figures to drop in half. The is the smallest car with two seats and is all aluminum. As soon as you make it say the size of a Prius(much bigger) you will double the weight. Then you need to add batteries to compensate and this thing is already 900 pounds heavier than the Elise!
Please; this is a barely acceptable toy that cost well into the 6 figures. Performance is less than a Vette at half the cost and with all the battery negatives.
Yes, there is some cool things about the on-board computer and yes you don't need to change the oil but a revolution this is not.
Stick to doing Dvorak. Just messing with ya... I think your an all right guy.
Beautiful car, but the ergonomics of the dash (or center console - whatever you want to call it) right in front of the gear shift (where all the knobs are) are completely stupid. (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/jason-calacanis-tesla-roadster-1/1183720/)
They should've had that part rising up at a much greater angle so you could reach the controls better. Otherwise, you're going to have to lean way forward off of the back of the seat to reach them, and you won't easily be able to read the labels.
Can't figure out why manufacturers make things that way. Makes no sense.
Also, do the seats lean back at all, or are you stuck at just one angle? They way they are now, they look really uncomfortable.
Other than those two things, the car looks really nice.
Heres to hoping the big car manufacturers die and make way for some more of this. We dont really need all that many internal combustion engines when when this can be made. And to all the workers in the factories, wouldnt you rather make something that cuts down on the mineral oil in the place of clean assembly and operation?
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