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Tesla Roadster Rendering Has the Special Bit It Needs to Beat Model S Plaid

 There's a two-fold risk in presenting new models four years ahead of their commercial release. On the one hand, it gives the public plenty of time to get used, then get bored with the design; on the other, the specs that once sounded so exciting can get obsolete.
Tesla Roadster widebody rendering 6 photos
Photo: Banjarmasin via Behance
Tesla Roadster widebody renderingTesla Roadster widebody renderingTesla Roadster widebody renderingTesla Roadster widebody renderingTesla Roadster widebody rendering
Luckily for Tesla, no company out there is even close to developing something with similar specs to the Roadster's, so that second part is taken care of by itself. Yeah, except Tesla didn't account for one particular manufacturer in its plans: Tesla Motors.

Just in case your long-term memory isn't what it used to anymore, here is a reminder of what Elon Musk promised when he unveiled the Roadster back in 2017. The electric sports car was supposed to get a 620 miles maximum range (1,000 km), a 1.9-seconds 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration, an 8.8-seconds quarter-mile time, and a top speed of over 250 mph (400 km/h).

Well, that would sound as impressive today as it did three years ago if it weren't for a certain EV that was just officially confirmed and should launch ahead of the Roadster. We're talking, of course, about the Model S Plaid and its Roadster-rivaling specs. "Sub two-sec" 0-60 mph acceleration? Check. "Sub nine-sec" quarter-mile run? Check. The only areas where the three-motor Model S falls short are the top speed (200+ mph compared to 250+ mph) and maximum range (520 miles compared to 620 miles).

Did we mention the Model S Plaid is a full-size sedan with room for up to five people? And did we mention it can lap the Laguna Seca circuit in 1:30.3? Did we happen to throw in the fact that a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, the ultimate track bred Neunelfer, is just two seconds quicker? So, considering there's also a significant price gap between the Model S Plaid and the Roadster, why should anyone not opt for the sedan?

Tesla is definitely going to have to find an answer for that one, and exterior design could very well be it. After all, the Model S design is, more or less, eight years old now, which means plenty of people will want a change. Plus, the Roadster is a sports car, a type of vehicle a lot of Tesla owners have been crying out for ever since the original Roadster was retired.

If so, would it do any harm to make the Roadster look even more like a sports car? No, definitely not, which is why this light digital tuning from Banjarmasin hits the nail right in the head. It can do that part and now it looks the part too. Maybe the rivets on the flared wheel arches are a little too much, but the Roadster could definitely benefit from a wider stance (any performance car would) and a lowered suspension, which are two things that these renderings have done to the Tesla.

It also seems to get some sort of a rear wing, but given the angle of these images, it's difficult to tell what exactly is going on there. Big wings have never been part of Tesla's stylistic repertoire and it's unlikely it will start with the Roadster - at least not the road version because if it's truly serious about taking this EV on the Nordschleife, then we'll definitely see one pop up at the back.
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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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