by Wallace Wyss –
The Tesla roadster is already “old” before it got into production, whenever that is. But Tesla already has a lot of orders because it seems like it will be a unique car that can go more than 600 miles on a charge.
This is actually their second roadster. The first one was based on a Lotus, but that was 100 years ago if you’re measuring by EV history.
It broadens out the Tesla market from four seater sedans to cars with genuine sportiness, competitors with Porsche now that they have an electric sports car, though it’s a four door and has a fixed roof while the Tesla has a nice lift off roof panel to make it a Ferrari spyder competitor. The tree huggers, who are usually suspicious of high performance cars, will have to love it because it’s all electric.
Here’s one man’s opinion on the design:
FRONT Same old same old “blank” front that looks like a new car being shipped that still has a protective cover on it. I want a grille cavity even if it’s a fake one. And those vertical air intakes at the front–isn’t Porsche using those on the Taycan–if so, who copied who?
SIDE General shape copies Taycan, ironic because the Tesla design was shown first. Again, who copied who? Side sculpturing old hat, kind of like present day Camaro. Vent on front fenders nice but what hot air is it funneling out–not from the engine? Nose is a little short, making you think it’s front engine–on the other hand since all-electric cars don’t have engines would you have to say front-motored? Where the motors are isn’t as important as where the engine was because there can be several batteries spread throughout the vehicle.
REAR Conventional but pleasant. It’s got the rear wing spoiler up high (allowing air to go underneath). The ends of the spoiler sort of offer a canopy to “shade” the taillamps. The exhaust pipes that used to spice up the rear of sports cars for the last almost century are gone, un-needed.
IN SUM For those lucky enough to emerge from the current pandemic with cash, this could be the newest thing on the block, internal combustion sports cars could die as the middle class is eviscerated by the effects of The Plague (22 million unemployed in the U.S. at last count).
This car, despite sedate styling, will be an attention-grabbing “exotic” that won’t incur the wrath of the ecology types.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss has authored 18 car histories. He evaluates cars for KUCR FM Autotalk and My Car Quest.
All photos compliments of Tesla.
I like it. I agree with you on a grill cavity and I would like to see a bright strip somewhere in the rear, possibly along the edge below the wing. What is the wheelbase and weight?