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Elon Musk Doubles Down on New Roadster's 1.1-Second 0-60 MPH Acceleration

One of these days, we're going to have to stop reporting everything Elon Musk says. That's because most of his statements should come with an asterisk and a disclaimer in fine print informing us that the promise might or might not be held and that it might or might not happen during our lifetime.
Tesla Roadster at the Petersen Auto Museum 7 photos
Photo: Zack (@BLKMDL3) via Twitter
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We've genuinely lost count of how many times Tesla, through the voice of its CEO, has promised things it either didn't deliver at all or took a lot longer than initially advertised. The first thing that springs to mind is the coast-to-coast fully autonomous trip that Musk was supposed to take years ago, but there are plenty of other examples. In fact, very few products—and we're not just counting vehicles here—were launched on schedule, so it's really a rarity when that happens, not the other way around.

One of the most hotly anticipated products, if not the most, is definitely the all-new Roadster. First shown to the public in November 2017 at the end of the Semi event, the four-seater sports car has made very few public appearances since, presumably in an attempt to keep its design fresh and not let the public get too used to its appearance. When you show a car more than four years before its actual commercial debut, you run the risk of having it look dated by the time the first deliveries commence.

However, the Roadster seems to be safe in that sense, and for two reasons: one, its clean, simple design means it still looks as relevant today as it did in 2017, and two, it wasn't so much the aesthetics that captured the people's attention as the vehicle's performance.

Initially, the 1.9 seconds 0-60 mph (0-96 kph) acceleration, the 4.2 seconds 0-100 mph (0-161 kph), and the 250+ mph (over 400 kph) top speed were enough to send everyone into a frenzy. Since then, though, the Model S Plaid Plus promises similar acceleration numbers, which meant the Roadster needed something even more outrageous.

Luckily, outrageous is what Musk knows best, so about three years ago, the first rumors about a potential SpaceX package for the car started to circulate. Later it was clarified that we'd be looking at a set of cold-air thrusters that should be able to propel the EV to the dizzying speeds it's reportedly capable of in a ridiculously short time. Musk talked about 1.1 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint, and everyone went "Whaaaa?"

God knows how many years later, the information has been made semi-official by including it in the text that accompanies the new Roadster as it's exhibited at the Petersen Auto Museum. Naturally, people also saw it as a confirmation of the crazy spec, so Twitter was flooded with questions on whether it is real or not.

Twitter being the same place where Elon Musk likes to lurk, a response from the CEO couldn't have been too far. Indeed, the tweet of one lucky guy marveling at the Roadster's quickness received a reply from Musk himself confirming the information on the museum plaque. "Yes, [it is true] with the SpaceX rocket thruster option package. It will be safe, but very intense. Probably not wise for those with a medical condition – same as a hardcore roller coaster."

The only question that remains now is "when?" Tesla has set the Model S Plaid delivery event date for June 3, less than two weeks from now, and the Cybertruck is also said to begin production in the second half of this year. If everything goes to plan, Tesla should begin to tie its loose ends pretty soon, meaning more resources could be directed toward the Roadster. Then again, people seem to be more interested in geeking over the specs than actually finding out when the first Roadsters will reach their new owners, and Musk is probably happy with things this way.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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