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Friday, March 29, 2024

TESLA roadster cutting-edge supercar

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Text by Dino Ray V. Directo III

Amid the jeering crowds and in the shadows of the World’s first e-truck, Elon Musk, TESLA’s innovative Founder and CEO unveiled to what seems to be the silver bullet that just might take out the conventional gasoline-fed supercars of the present generation.

TESLA’s all-new roadster is a stunning four-seater that boasts jaw-dropping numbers that measure up to the claims of Musk who at the onset of the unveiling promised an electric supercar that would blow the likes of Porsche and Ferrari off the water. “This is a smackdown to the fossil fuel addicted automotive industry, and this is a sign that tomorrow’s technology is here today,” states Musk.  

With the Beastie Boy’s song “Sabotage” blaring loudly from surround speakers at the venue, the second-generation TESLA Roadster came to an abrupt stop with Musk grinning and began to introduce his latest offering to the World, an electric roadster that can make the boys from Stuttgart and Maranello break a sweat. 

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He began to explain that this “base” model will do 0 to 60 in 1.9 seconds, the only car in the World at the moment to break the two-second barrier. He also said the new Roadster would climb from 0 to 100 mph in 4.2 seconds, and will clear the quarter mile in 8.9 seconds, “It’ll be faster than that jet over there,” Musk quipped, as an airplane flew over the vibrant crowd crammed into Tesla’s Hawthorne, California facility. Musk would not confirm the top speed, but hinted that it was “above 250 mph.” It is a humble comparison to the current world record holder, the Agera RS by Sweden’s Koenigsegg, which holds the record at 277.9 mph. 

As the crowd stood in stunned silence, Musk revealed that the Roadster was equipped with a 200kWh battery pack and with a 620-mile range per charge, or over 1,000 kilometers. Again, another record shattered — or so Musk claims. Imagine driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back, without recharging, Musk teased.

The vehicle has three motors, one in the front and two in the rear, has an all-wheel drive lay out, and torque steering.

The exterior design is an obvious kick in the butt against the sports car industry, with design cues inspired by its competitors which includes a McLaren P1 cockpit, an Acura NSX exterior, Bugatti Chiron headlights, a Targa-like roof, and a rear reminiscent of an Aston Martin DB10. “The point of doing this is to give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars,” Musk said. Driving any other turbo-charged sports car, is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche.

With buyers waiting at the sidelines for a crack at his new baby, Musk revealed that production of the Roadster is scheduled to start in 2020, but knowing TESLA, it could be earlier than that. Reservations are being entertained for $50,000 towards the $200,000 base price, or be different and get one of the first 1,000 Founders Series models with more performance and an asking price of $250,000 that has to be paid upfront. 

The launch of the TESLA Semi and the new Roadster is meant to usher in Musk’s next phase of his “Master Plan”. 

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