Tesla Roadster gets reviewed

smib

is a big honkin' homo
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6,465
Location
Connecticut, USA
Car(s)
2010 Mazda3
Don't know how many of you are interested, but I just found out about this

Woosh!
 
Very nice,

An electric car that isn't totally useless.
 
What's the point of a sports car that you can't hear?
 
interesting. Tho I wouldnt buy one , the interior design is cr*p and uncomfortable and the exterior is not that impressive either. <_< I wouldnt want to have a car that feels like an extension of my body, I want something that I could use daily If i wanted and not feel every peeble on the road. This is not a race car. Otherwise I suppose Id love to have one.
 
<_< I wouldnt want to have a car that feels like an extension of my body, I want something that I could use daily If i wanted and not feel every peeble on the road.

Those two attributes things aren't mutual, and unless you've driven a really connected car for atleast a few months i have a hard time believing that anybody, with rational human feelings, would want to go back to a lumpy, wool, disconnected coma of a car that most things describing themselves as "Sport" now a days are. You can still have a connected car thats extremely comfortable.

Honestly though, saying what you just said is like saying that your would rather listen to all your music on a set of crappy computer speakers then on a excellent set of headphones. It just goes against everything thats rational.


What's the point of a sports car that you can't hear?

you sir have posted some really really weird crap, like for example saying that Aston Martins styling is "boring", but i couldn't agree with you more on this one.
 
Last edited:
Last edited:
This is all kind of irrelevant anyway, since it looks like Tesla's about to go bankrupt...
 
And, assuming they are able to get that better transmission working, it is no faster than a stock Exige. Unless you are concerned about the environmental impact of fuel usage, this car is a pointless waste of $60k. Get a regular one from Lotus.
 
I'm surprised with the negative comments here. I think it looks fantastic, and not just as something made in America. Interior is a bit spartan, but then so is Elise's. One does not buy this car for comfort :) Flat torque line (can't really call it curve ;)) is the important bit, and I'm really curious about what it feels like.

And you can't expect a start-up company with huge development expenses behind and one model produce a cheap car. This is a proof of concept really.
 
I've been a fan of the car since the firs time I heard of it a coupla years ago. Their headquarters is between my home and my work. I've seen a couple driving around, and The only car that'd make me go "Ooooh!" more is a Veyron or a CCX. (No, not even a Reventon...I know it's just an LP640 in boots...)

To me, it's styling kinda is a cross between an Elise, and a Superamerica Ferrari...but that's just me...

It's so eerie seeing it drive. It takes off like nobody's business due to it's "100% of the torque, 100% of the time" manner of power delivery, and yet the only sound is a faint whine (about 1% of a supercharger's) and tire noise. Brilliant!

!!!!Prototypes!!! (don't judge it's fit-n-finish, or anything like that...this isn't a production model.)
08-06-07_1913.jpg

DSC00346.jpg

DSC00348.jpg

DSC00349.jpg

DSC00350.jpg

DSC00351.jpg
 
It takes off like nobody's business due to it's "100% of the torque, 100% of the time" manner of power delivery, and yet the only sound is a faint whine (about 1% of a supercharger's) and tire noise. Brilliant!

Yet it is no faster than a regular Elise. In fact until they work out the problems with the transmission it is actually quite a bit slower.

I know it is easy to get excited about this car, but if you take a look at it from a technical perspective it isn't all that great.
 
Love the name, thats about it. I want to see a hybrid sports car. Except my idea of a hybrid would be a powerful electric motor combined with a jet turbine.
 
Yet it is no faster than a regular Elise. In fact until they work out the problems with the transmission it is actually quite a bit slower.

I know it is easy to get excited about this car, but if you take a look at it from a technical perspective it isn't all that great.

By "no faster than a regular Elise" do you mean top speed? Because the Tesla Roadster's 0-60 is quite a bit quicker than the Elise, and how often do you drive over 125 miles per hour?

The Tesla Roadster is awesome. I think it does what it was designed to do quite well. At this point I can't come up with the extra money, but if / when the opportunity presents itself I am interested in selling my S2000 and getting a loan to buy one.
 
I've been seeing quite a few of them lately (british-racing-type green, orange, black, white) and it still turns my neck into rubber.
 
By "no faster than a regular Elise" do you mean top speed? Because the Tesla Roadster's 0-60 is quite a bit quicker than the Elise, and how often do you drive over 125 miles per hour?

The Tesla Roadster is awesome. I think it does what it was designed to do quite well. At this point I can't come up with the extra money, but if / when the opportunity presents itself I am interested in selling my S2000 and getting a loan to buy one.

The Tesla is supposed to cost over $100,000 USD, that's three times the cost of a brand new S2000.
 
By "no faster than a regular Elise" do you mean top speed? Because the Tesla Roadster's 0-60 is quite a bit quicker than the Elise,

5.7 to 60 is faster then 4.7 to 60?!?
 
Last edited:
I personally think the Tesla's a brilliant idea, as going to the gas station is a waste of time in my opinion.

I love the idea of being able to charge/fill up my car right at home without having to make trips out just to fill up
 
Top