Tesla's $200,000 new Roadster will be "the fastest production car ever"

midian182

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Remember when nobody wanted electric cars because they were considered slower than their gas counterparts? Tesla showed that a vehicle can be battery-powered and still make it onto the 'world’s fastest accelerating cars' list with its Model S. Now, Elon Musk has revealed that the next version of the company’s Roadster will be the “the fastest production car ever made—period.”

Thanks to its new 100 kWh battery pack upgrade last year, Tesla’s Model S P100D was able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds when in ludicrous mode, beating the likes of the Lamborghini Aventador, Koenigsegg Regera, and Hennessey Venom GT. Earlier this year, a 2017 model P100D managed 0-60 in just 2.28 seconds, which meant only the Porsche 918 Spyder accelerated faster (2.2 seconds).

At the same event where he unveiled Tesla’s semi truck, Musk revealed the new Tesla Roadster; a car that he claims is even faster than the Model S. Going from zero to 60 mph will take just 1.9 seconds, making it the first production vehicle to break the 2-second mark. 0-100 mph will take just 4.2 seconds, while traveling a quarter mile is possible in 8.9 seconds.

Not only will the Roadster move like lightning, but it will also have a top speed “above 250 mph.” That’s not too far away from the 277.9 mph record set earlier this month in the Koenigsegg Agera RS hypercar.

“The point of doing this is to give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars,” Musk said. “Driving a gasoline sports car is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche.”

You might worry that all this power means the roadster won’t have the best range, but that isn’t the case. Its 200 kWh battery will offer around 630 miles of highway driving. Plus, it’s got four seats instead of the usual two, three motors, all-wheel drive, and torque steering.

The new Roadster will be available in 2020 starting at $200,000. Considering you’d pay around $2.7 million for a Bugatti Chiron, which is slower, that seems like a pretty good deal.

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Wow that is some some amazing car on paper, I want to see some real reviews of this thing when it is available........seriously badass

Bet it weighs a million
 
It looks and sounds alright, even though the sound of electric vehicles doesn't exactly give one goosebumps. Even the price ain't bad if those performance figures are to be believed but there's always the possibility it won't progress past it's prototype stage though.
 
Oh Man, I cant WAIT until tesla delays this, then manages to finally make them at the rate of 2 per year.

They still cant figure out the model 3's production, and without that success, they will burn through their remaining cash by 2019. Perhaps this new roadster is an attempt to beat the funding drum once again.
 
It'll be a rocket ship in a straight line but building a great super car is as much about getting around corners as it is doing drag races. Will wait and see how heavy it is, and whether it can live with the dynamics of rivals with major racing pedigree
 
Amazing they can do that range in a sports car, but can't manage it in a simple compact electric car for a decent price ...... go figure!
 
It looks and sounds alright, even though the sound of electric vehicles doesn't exactly give one goosebumps. Even the price ain't bad if those performance figures are to be believed but there's always the possibility it won't progress past it's prototype stage though.

I know what you are saying. A nice exhaust note is impossible to replace. However, I'd say the whir of electric motors in a Tesla is VERY goosebump worthy irl. Especially when pushing it hard. Just in a different, less visceral way. But it's scary nonetheless. Like a linear induction coaster.
 
It'll be a rocket ship in a straight line but building a great super car is as much about getting around corners as it is doing drag races. Will wait and see how heavy it is, and whether it can live with the dynamics of rivals with major racing pedigree

Yeah...that 200kwh battery has to weight what? I wouldn't be surprised if this little guy was 3500+, maybe even 2 ton of car. I'm sure it'll be a blast, and FAST to boot (torque steering) around corners, but it won't have that Porsche balance.
 
Yeah...that 200kwh battery has to weight what? I wouldn't be surprised if this little guy was 3500+, maybe even 2 ton of car. I'm sure it'll be a blast, and FAST to boot (torque steering) around corners, but it won't have that Porsche balance.

It's also 3 years away. If not more going by Tesla's recent history of delays. The Mclaren 720S is the benchmark today for this sort of cost, but what about in 3-4 years? There will always be strong competition in the super car market.
 
It's also 3 years away. If not more going by Tesla's recent history of delays. The Mclaren 720S is the benchmark today for this sort of cost, but what about in 3-4 years? There will always be strong competition in the super car market.
I think the 720s is more $300k, but yeah, it sure is GORGEOUS. I love that Mclaren has come out with such an amazing lineup the past 5 years. Really cool tech, and perhaps even better looks. I have no doubt the 720s would be more of a "drivers" car than this Tesla, if not as fast. I used to have a little MR2 spider...it was one of the greatest cars I ever had. Had kids...had to move away from 2 doors. But still...there's just something great about driving a good performing car, regardless of how much power it packs (I love Miatas too...hope to get one someday)
 
Oh Man, I cant WAIT until tesla delays this, then manages to finally make them at the rate of 2 per year.

They still cant figure out the model 3's production, and without that success, they will burn through their remaining cash by 2019. Perhaps this new roadster is an attempt to beat the funding drum once again.

Exactly. Just more Elon-hype, from the front-man for techno-fraud himself. This guy is as spooky as they get, a complete fake from top to bottom. They should have just named him Mr. Langley.
 
Amazing they can do that range in a sports car, but can't manage it in a simple compact electric car for a decent price ...... go figure!
It costs so much partly *because* of the capacity of the batteries they used in it.

That's a pretty backwards argument...
 
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