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Tesla Roadster Sport


kinnsella
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So a buddy of mine has been vacillating back and forth about pulling the trigger on a Tesla Roadster Sport. Had a deposit down for a couple of years and finally decided to get one for his 40th birthday.

 

He ordered a Sport which I guess makes more hp and allegedly does 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 secs...more on that later. It came with a hardtop, not sure whether it is carbon fiber or fiber glass, though either way it is light. Out of pocket with an extended 7 seven warranty with a battery replacement plan it cost him $160k.....ouch. The sport option is $30k or so.

 

It arrived on Saturday morning, I happened to be visiting so I took it for a drive.

 

First impressions. It's a very small car, probably 2/3's the size of a Gallardo. It's low, it felt significantly lower than my Gallardo. Twice when we were driving full size trucks pulled into our lane, not seeing us. Interior is straight out of an Elise except for a small screen maybe 3 inches square where a shifter would be that gives you various energy readings. There is no gearbox so forward, reverse and park are buttons in a center consul. Like an Elise you are rubbing shoulders with your passenger. Entry is difficult, especially with the roof on. However there is a lot more room in the foot well since there is no clutch pedal, no need for skinny shoes. Trunk is behind the battery pack is about the same size as shelf area in a Gallardo. Fit and finish is not great, the exposed carbon fiber on the under side of the battery and trunk area is unfinished, panel gaps are large and not that consistent. I could never get the rear panel to close on the first try and it would twist when slamming it shut. Paint looked good, leather was high quality. Apparently it has a carbon fiber body. Roof is attached by 5 torx screws, takes 10 minutes to remove. No storage system provided and unlike an NSX, you can't store it on the car. The car comes with a soft top too, it fits in the trunk and can be put together in less than 5 minutes. Works well and is a one person job, not sure how water proof it would be, but it seemed to fit tight. Aftermarket Alpine stereo with Nav and Satellite radio, looks like a 2 din slot, radio couldn't pick up stations well, when it did the sound quality was awful.

 

Driving impressions. Visibility is good for a mid engine car. A pillars are slim and B pillars aren't that large. Key has 2 positions, one for regular power and a click further gives you max power. The front is low to the ground, however we never bottomed it out, though it felt like it would. Steering is unbelievably heavy, made worse by steering wheel that's tiny, though it is nice to the touch. Surprising since the front tires are only 175 on a 16 inch rim. Tires were some sort of Yokohama. I don't remember the Elise steering being that heavy. It would take me a while to get used to it, doesn't get a appreciably lighter when make large turns even at speed though it does track well. Ride is good though tippy since the wheel base is so short, creates a sort of pogo effect. I think the front tires were 45 aspect ratio. Reminded me of a go kart. Acceleration, impressive and disappointing at the same time. It didn't feel a like a 3.7 to 60mph, there is a little hesitation when you mash the accelerator pedal. No wheel spin. However once you are going and mash the gas it really goes. Response is instant and constant since there is no gearbox. The motor is quiet, just a small whine. We got it up to 100 mph, felt stable however not sure I would be that comfortable going much faster than that due to the pogoing sensation due the short wheelbase. Brakes were not good, though this could be that fact that they were not bedded in, didn't notice any regen effect though the dash indicated it was under braking. You definately felt the weight of the batteries when driving, it felt more rear weight biased than my Gallardo. When cornering you got a bit of a pendulum effect, I don't remember that sensation when driving my old 996tt.

 

Range. The car came with a 160 miles of range when it was delivered, not sure if that was a full charge. In 10 maybe 15 miles of very very hard driving we got that number under 90 miles. The car gives you 2 range readings, maximum range if you drive like a granny and range based on your current consumption. The computer will put you in a limp home mode once you reach a certain threshold. He hadn't had the Tesla charging system installed yet, but he did have a 50 amp outlet set up. In three hours of charging the range was back to 160 miles on that plug. I guess the maximum charging available amps is 90 however that would require him to dig up his yard and install additional equipment. The higher the amps that more wear on the battery. Also when it was charging the fans in the front hood were running continually and they were surprising loud.

 

Verdict. It felt like a toy, not a car. The lack of engine noise made it a rather antiseptic experience. The steering was really odd and would take a while to get used too. I think it would take a while to be able to place it with confidence in the twisties. The braking was unacceptable, but that could be a bedding in issue. For what you get performance wise it can't be justified. He's a tech geek, the CEO of a Biotech research company so I can see why it appeals to him. However I would spend my $160k elsewhere.

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$160,000!!! Give me a 911 Turbo instead.

 

When I got done reading the first post I was going to respond with "Ill take a 911 Turbo S for 160k!

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Nice review, thanks for the writeup.

 

Did Scotty ever do a write up after he added one to his garage? I kept meaning to PM him and ask if he would write some words on it.

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I concur on most of this write up except the braking, stereo and miles on a charge. The alpine head is awesome for this car. It beats the he'll out of a Lambo radio any day. Also the brakes are fantastic, but like he said, they may not be seated yet. You do not buy these cars for their value to excitement ratio. It is a Early adoption of technology at a premium. Remember when plasma televisions were introduced? The early adopter paid over $10k for the same TV thar you can now buy for under a thousand. It is a car that you buy to tell the oil companies to fcuk off and to help protect the environment. It is a statement car.

I still love the roar and the feel of a great 10 or 12 cylinder car, but this is a whole new animal. It is fun to drive, you get a lot of questions and it is great to just plug it in at night. The electrical cost to charge it is about $8.00 for a Full charge and I get over 200 miles on a charge even driving it hard. I do dislike the size of the car and it is difficult to get in and out. The main reason I got it was to get on the top of the list for the sedan they will introduce in late 2012. When I place my sedan deposit I was number 1147. When I bought the roadster, I went to 97. Go figure. In the mean time we are having fun learning about electric cars and their quirks.

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What do you think about Fisker Karma, Scotty?

 

 

Great looking car in and out, but painfully slow...............0-60 in 7.9? Or spool up the generator (still using gas) and get it down to a blazing 5.9. It gets 40mpg on the highway and 35 city....humm we already have cars that do better than that that. If the "Green statement" is what you want, this is a step in the right direction. But it is along way from eliminating foreign oil and smog. i do like the styling and the interior is fantastic.

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$160k because your friend wanted to spec it that way. A normal Tesla roadster are selling closer to $110k, a lot more reasonable. That's about $70-80k less than a LP550-2.

 

These cars have great handling with a go kart feel. There is one thing the Tesla does well besides "gas mileage". It is a supercar that can be driven daily. It's like a Porsche.

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There is one thing the Tesla does well besides "gas mileage". It is a supercar that can be driven daily. It's like a Porsche.

Supercar? Hardly.

 

Your claim on the reliability is dubious too.

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I'm enamored with the sedan but was told if I put a deposit down (last week) I'd be in the low 6,000 range and wouldn't get the car till 2013. I tried to explain the whole Mayan 2012 thing to the salesman but he didn't get it...

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I'm enamored with the sedan but was told if I put a deposit down (last week) I'd be in the low 6,000 range and wouldn't get the car till 2013. I tried to explain the whole Mayan 2012 thing to the salesman but he didn't get it...

 

That's funny!

 

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Great review, really enjoyed reading it. :)

 

 

I'm enamored with the sedan but was told if I put a deposit down (last week) I'd be in the low 6,000 range and wouldn't get the car till 2013. I tried to explain the whole Mayan 2012 thing to the salesman but he didn't get it...

 

haha

 

How much does the sedan cost?

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Great review, really enjoyed reading it. :)

 

 

 

 

haha

 

How much does the sedan cost?

 

 

Starts at $57k for the base car with the 160 mile range battery.

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I'm hosting Tesla Motors in Columbus this weekend. Looking forward to driving a Roadster on Saturday!

 

Hopefully they aren't staying in your apartment that was broken into, right?

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Hopefully they aren't staying in your apartment that was broken into, right?

 

Well that was part of my elaborate coverup for when the demo car comes up missing...

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I'm enamored with the sedan but was told if I put a deposit down (last week) I'd be in the low 6,000 range and wouldn't get the car till 2013. I tried to explain the whole Mayan 2012 thing to the salesman but he didn't get it...

 

:iamwithstupid:

 

When the Model S is 1) Real and 2) Available it will earn my money for sure provided that it's not crap.

 

Looking forward to it actually, hopefully delivers enough lux to compete with that E-class / 5-Series segment that it's priced at.

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