Prototypes of the “base model” are able to hit 60mph from a standstill in 1.9 seconds and that a production version of the car may be able to accelerate even faster.
That’s a full 0.4 seconds faster to 60mph than the current fastest Tesla, the Model S P100D, in the so-called ludicrous plus mode, which hits 60mph in 2.3 seconds.
But it would also be faster than any current production car, with the performance hybrid Porsche 918 Spyder the current king with a 0-60mph time of 2.2 seconds. The fastest 0-60mph time ever recorded was 1.5 seconds by the AMZ Grimsel Electric Race Car.
If hitting 60mph in 1.9 seconds wasn’t enough, Tesla reckons the Roadster will be able to reach 100mph from a standstill in 4.2 seconds and go on to do a quarter-of-a-mile time of 8.9 seconds, should Vin Diesel ever come calling.
Tesla Roadster will have a top speed of over 250mph, if you can find a straight long enough. The current record for top speed for a production car is the Koenigsegg Agera RS, which reached a speed of 277.87mph on 4 November, in Pahrump, Nevada.
Using a similar system to the Model S P100D, the Roadster will have three motors. One in the front to drive the front wheels and two in the rear to drive the rear wheels giving the Roadster all-wheel drive.
As if record-breaking acceleration wasn’t enough, Musk said that the Roadster should be able to drive around 630 miles of motorway driving between charges with a 200kWh battery. The current top-rated distance for the Model S 100D at 55mph, at 20 Celsius, is 424 miles.
The Roadster is what is called a 2+2, meaning it has two full-size seats in the front and two smaller seats in the back, meaning that if you really wanted to you could probably squeeze four people into the car, as long as the rear passengers are small people.
The standard retail price of the so-called base model will start at $200,000 making it the most expensive Tesla to date above the top of the line Model X.
However, even at the not insignificant sum of $200,000 the Roadster will actually be comparatively cheap for its performance levels.
The first 1,000 Roadsters sold will actually cost $250,000 and will be limited edition Founder’s Series.
Tesla Roadster will go on sale in 2020, although that figure is speculative given the problems and delays Tesla has faced getting its other cars to market.
It’s already technically up for pre-order, however: as interested buyers who put down a $50,000 deposit at the Roadster’s launch event were able to have a ride in a prototype.