Snug as a bug in a rug... on a racetrack
Don't kid yourselves ladies and gents, the Roadster and especially the S, are not, I repeat, are not toys. This car is in fact a dedicated sports/high-performance car that happens to lay a massive carbon footprint that is equivalent to a big fat ZERO.
This type of car has very specific requirements and two of them are fixed-back race-inspired seats and a small diameter three-spoke leather-wrapped MOMO sport steering wheel. This means then that once you've gotten past the sweet, sensual curves of the carbon-fibre body, the cabin is all business and matches the drapes. With doors open, crossing the threshold requires a little work but hey, if you can't get in, too bad!
Once aboard, you are faced with a delectable mix of gauges and controls that are both functionally sporty and high-end. Where the dashboard and the centre-console meat, you will find a touch-screen driver interface where settings can be adjusted and where much information on the car can be obtained.
Don't be put off by the seemingly hard-core nature of the car, the seats are heated and leather-covered, A/C, power door-locks and windows as well as cruise control are standard. Should you so desire, you can add premium leather and audio system with navigation for a price.
Power from within
I know y'all have been waiting for this part... The Tesla Roadster is as fast as everyone says. It will demolish nearly all sports cars in a straight line, preferably on a quarter-mile track. The secret, well, it's no secret, is its power-to-weight ratio. But it's more than that because this is not conventional power.
The 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive generates the equivalent of 288 hp (215 kW) and 273 lb/t of torque (370 Nm). That's for the base car. The S reaches max hp output 600 rpms sooner and torque is increased to 295 lb/ft (400 Nm). You might be scratching your head about the rpm part. The electric motor does spin and as it does, makes the car move. In fact, this “engine” has an F1-like top rotational speed of 14,000 rpm.
Don't kid yourselves ladies and gents, the Roadster and especially the S, are not, I repeat, are not toys. This car is in fact a dedicated sports/high-performance car that happens to lay a massive carbon footprint that is equivalent to a big fat ZERO.
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| Once aboard, you are faced with a delectable mix of gauges and controls that are both functional, sporty and high-end. (photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |
This type of car has very specific requirements and two of them are fixed-back race-inspired seats and a small diameter three-spoke leather-wrapped MOMO sport steering wheel. This means then that once you've gotten past the sweet, sensual curves of the carbon-fibre body, the cabin is all business and matches the drapes. With doors open, crossing the threshold requires a little work but hey, if you can't get in, too bad!
Once aboard, you are faced with a delectable mix of gauges and controls that are both functionally sporty and high-end. Where the dashboard and the centre-console meat, you will find a touch-screen driver interface where settings can be adjusted and where much information on the car can be obtained.
Don't be put off by the seemingly hard-core nature of the car, the seats are heated and leather-covered, A/C, power door-locks and windows as well as cruise control are standard. Should you so desire, you can add premium leather and audio system with navigation for a price.
Power from within
I know y'all have been waiting for this part... The Tesla Roadster is as fast as everyone says. It will demolish nearly all sports cars in a straight line, preferably on a quarter-mile track. The secret, well, it's no secret, is its power-to-weight ratio. But it's more than that because this is not conventional power.
The 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive generates the equivalent of 288 hp (215 kW) and 273 lb/t of torque (370 Nm). That's for the base car. The S reaches max hp output 600 rpms sooner and torque is increased to 295 lb/ft (400 Nm). You might be scratching your head about the rpm part. The electric motor does spin and as it does, makes the car move. In fact, this “engine” has an F1-like top rotational speed of 14,000 rpm.
 |
| The 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive generates the equivalent of 288 hp. (photo: Tesla) |