It was 2008, and Tesla had just rolled out an electric roadster. It was probably not the right time. But hey, who could stop Elon Musk from having his way when he sets his mind to it? That's right. Nobody. Waiting for the second-generation Tesla Roadster, 11 years after the production of the first came to a halt, we get hit by nostalgia and remember that the Tesla CEO has a habit of not meeting the deadlines that he sets himself.
America and, in fact, the whole world, received it with open arms, like a long-awaited child. The Lotus Elise-based model made its debut at the 2006 San Francisco International Auto Show. The first Tesla Roadster was delivered to the Tesla co-founder, chairman, and product architect, Elon Musk himself. Back then, little did we know about the egocentric, extravagant Musk. But we were to find out.
2,450 roadsters were delivered in over 30 countries. Most of them set wheels on European and Asian soil. The model could drive as far as 244 miles (393 kilometers) before it needed to be plugged in again. Depending on the version, it could run from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds. Top speed was 125 mph (201 kph). Back then, all Europe knew about electric cars was the Nissan Leaf.
Musk was a visionary. At first, he sent a Tesla Roadster around the world to prove the reliability of the car. The Roadster completed the journey between the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, which started mid-March, and the Paris Motor Show, which debuted in September.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
Then in February 2018, Elon Musk’s personal first-generation Roadster was sent to space for no reason whatsoever. The sports car is still out there today. That's quite a destiny for a car that would have otherwise ended up in a scrap yard.
Tesla stopped taking orders for the first generation in August 2011, and the world is still waiting for the second. That same year, Elon Musk promised that the Roadster would return to production with a second generation in 2014. Nine years have passed, and Musk now promises deliveries will kick off in 2024. We’ll check back in 2034 to see when it actually happens.
Before the second-gen Tesla Roadster shows up, one of the 2,450 first-gen Roadsters is for sale. It is a 2008 model finished in black over black leather upholstery.
The car is equipped with the upgrade 80-kWh R80 pack, available starting 2014, a $29,000 extra. The switch was performed by a Tesla shop in 2017. The seller is being honest and reveals in the listing that the battery pack has been suffering from a loss in range and performance.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
The electric motor sends 288 horsepower (292 PS) to the rear wheels through a BorgWarner single-speed transmission.
The car sports a removable hardtop, but a black soft top is included. HID headlights that have turned rainbow-ish over the years, staggered-diameter alloy wheels, and an integrated rear spoiler round up the looks of the roadster. There are air conditioning, reversing camera, and heated seats on board, as well as a JVC stereo capable of Bluetooth connection.
The next owner will drive sitting in a bucket seat with the Tesla logo embroiled in the backrest. The carbon fiber accents in the center console and door sills are a confirmation that the Roadster is every inch a sports car.
There are a 13,000-rpm redline and a 150-mph speedometer behind the three-spoke steering wheel, while the configurable multifunction LCD screen is mounted on the left side of the steering column.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
The first owner registered it in California and that is where it remained until it was sold in 2018 and had to move to New York. In 2022, the new owner replaced wheel bearings and fixed some issues with the suspension. They also fitted an Open Vehicle Monitoring System and sound dampening material to enhance comfort at high speeds.
The Tesla Roadster wears 16-inch wheels at the front and 17-inch units on the rear axle, with 195/50 front and 225/45 rear Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus tires. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with AP Racing front calipers, painted red in 2022, and slotted rotors provide the stopping power.
The odometer now displays 99,000 miles (159,325 kilometers), with 15,000 (24,140 kilometers) of them being added by the current owner.
The car is for sale in Washington with a clean Carfax report and a clean New York title in the seller’s name. But as you’d expect from a 15-year old car, there are paint chips every here and there. How much those will reduce the final price, we get to see in five days’ time. That is when the bidding on Bring a Trailer ends. Right now, it hit $44,000, which is far from the over $100,000 price that the first owner paid for the first-generation Tesla Roadster.
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