Photo: Vinícius Buch
Ever since Elon Musk said the new Roadster would be the quickest Tesla model (which means beating the sub-2.3 seconds 0-60 time of the P100D Model S), this particular EV suddenly became extremely anticipated.
Upcoming designers and photo manipulators, in particular, seem to be attracted to the idea of a Tesla two-seater sports car. But in most cases, their enthusiasm seems to get the better of them as they get carried away and end up with cars that don't have anything in common with Tesla's current design philosophy.
Musk did say the Roadster would act as the brand's halo car, meaning it could depart from the lines and shapes found on the rest of the range, but we wouldn't stray too far, though. After all, the point of a halo car is to draw attention to the brand, not just to that one vehicle in particular.
Whatever Tesla decides to do with the new model, it will definitely mark a huge departure from the original Roadster. In case you forgot, that one was based on a Lotus Elise and only carried minimal design changes that turned it into the company's first EV and the car that started everything.
The second generation won't have so much pressure hanging on its shoulders regarding the company's fate, but people's expectations are going to be higher. And its exterior and interior design will play a big role in how the public receives the new Roadster.
Vinícius Buch, an industrial design student in Brazil, has come up with a suggestion on Behance, but his work makes itself guilty of the same departure from Tesla's current philosophy. But his effort does have a few nice features that make it worth noticing.
The nose line above the front bumper is the only recognizable Tesla design element, but it's also one of the most questionable ones. Apart from that, Vinícius' Roadster Y Concept looks like a melange between BMW's Gina concept and the McLaren SLR Stirling Moss.
We particularly like the asymmetrical frunk - even though it seems like it would be a pain in the butt aerodynamically - and the almost absent windshield - again, not the best solution for a car that needs to go fast just as much as it needs to go far.
The interior is minimalist, but not in the same way that Tesla is adjusting this style to the Model 3. It gets a wide display that stretches from behind the steering wheel all the way to the center of the dash, but the most baffling element is the keyboard. Elon Musk would definitely not have such an archaic device in his car.
All in all, we'd give Vinícius Buch a C for his effort, where the B is reserved for a nice design that also screams "Tesla" without needing the badge on the nose, and the A is hopefully kept for the real thing when it eventually comes out.
Musk did say the Roadster would act as the brand's halo car, meaning it could depart from the lines and shapes found on the rest of the range, but we wouldn't stray too far, though. After all, the point of a halo car is to draw attention to the brand, not just to that one vehicle in particular.
Whatever Tesla decides to do with the new model, it will definitely mark a huge departure from the original Roadster. In case you forgot, that one was based on a Lotus Elise and only carried minimal design changes that turned it into the company's first EV and the car that started everything.
The second generation won't have so much pressure hanging on its shoulders regarding the company's fate, but people's expectations are going to be higher. And its exterior and interior design will play a big role in how the public receives the new Roadster.
Vinícius Buch, an industrial design student in Brazil, has come up with a suggestion on Behance, but his work makes itself guilty of the same departure from Tesla's current philosophy. But his effort does have a few nice features that make it worth noticing.
The nose line above the front bumper is the only recognizable Tesla design element, but it's also one of the most questionable ones. Apart from that, Vinícius' Roadster Y Concept looks like a melange between BMW's Gina concept and the McLaren SLR Stirling Moss.
We particularly like the asymmetrical frunk - even though it seems like it would be a pain in the butt aerodynamically - and the almost absent windshield - again, not the best solution for a car that needs to go fast just as much as it needs to go far.
The interior is minimalist, but not in the same way that Tesla is adjusting this style to the Model 3. It gets a wide display that stretches from behind the steering wheel all the way to the center of the dash, but the most baffling element is the keyboard. Elon Musk would definitely not have such an archaic device in his car.
All in all, we'd give Vinícius Buch a C for his effort, where the B is reserved for a nice design that also screams "Tesla" without needing the badge on the nose, and the A is hopefully kept for the real thing when it eventually comes out.
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