Photo: Tesla Motors
As he did with other models before it, Elon Musk is slowly dripping bits of information on the upcoming Roadster electric sports car ahead of its official release.
After first breaking cover out of nowhere nearly three years ago toward the end of the Tesla Semi event, the Roadster never ceased to capture the imagination of everyone who ever read its (yet completely virtual) spec sheet. Once you do that and process what those numbers mean, your perception of performance on a stock car will forever be changed.
Let's quickly go over what Elon Musk promised about the Tesla Roadster and start with the most important bit: its 0-60 mph (97 kph) acceleration. According to the company's CEO, that should be done in under two seconds. The people attending the 2017 event were taken on short demonstrative runs, and while nobody could time the acceleration, they all came out pretty impressed. And it's safe to assume most of them were familiar with the way performance Teslas accelerate.
The list goes on with a maximum range of 620 miles (1,000 km), a battery pack of 200 kWh, and a 250 mph (400 kph) top speed, all for a base price of just $200,000. To top it all off, Musk later talked about a SpaceX Package that would include cold-air thrusters to boost the car's acceleration even further - all the way to 1.1 seconds for the benchmark acceleration run, according to some calculations.
Elon's latest disclosures about the Roadster are somewhat less spectacular as they pertain to the vehicle's wheels. Its wheel nuts, to be more precise. The Roadster prototype used center lock wheels, a trait rarely seen on production models, and much more prevalent in racing cars. That's because the main benefit is the speed with which the wheel can be mounted or dismounted, something crucial during a Formula One pit stop, but not so much when you need to have your winter tires installed.
Other benefits include the possibility of having larger brake rotors installed, which is something the Roadster could definitely benefit from considering it won't be light with that 200 kWh battery pack, and it will have to brake safely from dizzying speeds. Plus, if it managed to get away with it with the Model S, Tesla will run out of excuses if the Roadster won't be able to perform consistently on a racetrack. Bigger and stronger brakes would help there.
The announcement regarding the Roadster's wheel setup came via two Elon Musk comments on Twitter on a completely unrelated post. The initial image showed a Raptor SN29 rocket engine, but then the discussion drifted toward bolts, which is where Elon Musk jumped in.
The all-new Roadster was supposed to debut before the end of this year, but given everything that went on, the schedule has been pushed back. Last month, Musk confirmed that production of the sports car should commence within 12 to 18 months, meaning we should see Tesla's new flagship by the end of 2021. New information should be made available later this year during an upcoming event.
Let's quickly go over what Elon Musk promised about the Tesla Roadster and start with the most important bit: its 0-60 mph (97 kph) acceleration. According to the company's CEO, that should be done in under two seconds. The people attending the 2017 event were taken on short demonstrative runs, and while nobody could time the acceleration, they all came out pretty impressed. And it's safe to assume most of them were familiar with the way performance Teslas accelerate.
The list goes on with a maximum range of 620 miles (1,000 km), a battery pack of 200 kWh, and a 250 mph (400 kph) top speed, all for a base price of just $200,000. To top it all off, Musk later talked about a SpaceX Package that would include cold-air thrusters to boost the car's acceleration even further - all the way to 1.1 seconds for the benchmark acceleration run, according to some calculations.
Elon's latest disclosures about the Roadster are somewhat less spectacular as they pertain to the vehicle's wheels. Its wheel nuts, to be more precise. The Roadster prototype used center lock wheels, a trait rarely seen on production models, and much more prevalent in racing cars. That's because the main benefit is the speed with which the wheel can be mounted or dismounted, something crucial during a Formula One pit stop, but not so much when you need to have your winter tires installed.
Other benefits include the possibility of having larger brake rotors installed, which is something the Roadster could definitely benefit from considering it won't be light with that 200 kWh battery pack, and it will have to brake safely from dizzying speeds. Plus, if it managed to get away with it with the Model S, Tesla will run out of excuses if the Roadster won't be able to perform consistently on a racetrack. Bigger and stronger brakes would help there.
The announcement regarding the Roadster's wheel setup came via two Elon Musk comments on Twitter on a completely unrelated post. The initial image showed a Raptor SN29 rocket engine, but then the discussion drifted toward bolts, which is where Elon Musk jumped in.
My favorite is one in tension, other DoF in compression. New Roadster wheels will only have one nut.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2020
Yes, it will have huge nuts haha
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 19, 2020
The all-new Roadster was supposed to debut before the end of this year, but given everything that went on, the schedule has been pushed back. Last month, Musk confirmed that production of the sports car should commence within 12 to 18 months, meaning we should see Tesla's new flagship by the end of 2021. New information should be made available later this year during an upcoming event.
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