At an event where Tesla was supposed to showcase the first prototypes of its Semi truck, the California-based electric car maker pulled out a surprise by unveiling its new sports car – the 2020 Tesla Roadster. And if its beautiful design hasn’t successfully dropped down your jaws, the specs sheet definitely will. To give a small heads-up: this is now the world’s fastest production car. And its all-electric!
The new Tesla Roadster is essentially a 2.0 version of the original Roadster, which was also the first production car from Tesla Motors. With the new-gen model, Tesla has brought some insane performance and range numbers that have the calibre to give sleepless nights to conventional supercar makers like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche.
Tesla Roadster Design
But before we delve into the specifics of the powertrain and its related performance figures, let’s focus on the amazing design and looks of the new Tesla Roadster. The car looks and feels like a Tesla from the first look itself. However, while the Model S, Model X and Model 3 have been given slightly toned down styling, the new Roadster gets a sportscar like profile and appearance.
Tesla designers have clearly taken inspiration from other major players in the segment. Hence, the new Tesla Roadster 2020 gets some design cues inspired by the likes of the McLaren P1, Porsche Targa, Acura NSX, Aston Martin DB11 and even the Bugatti Chiron.
The front gets a snooping nose, sharp LED headlights with whisker-like body extensions and no grille. The side profile reveals a contemporary yet fresh appearance with an extremely rounded roofline, flared wheel arches and minimal overhangs. The rear end too is tastefully shaped and a subtle indent in the centre with the TESLA branding, a minimalistic boot lid mounted spoiler and a pair of all LED taillights pushed to the extreme corners.
There’s more! The new Tesla Roadster 2020 is essentially a drop top where the glass roof can be folded into the boot of the car. Hence, the car can look even more appealing once the top is down! Moreover, Tesla hasn’t really compromised on practicality either. Elon Musk, the company’s popular CEO, mentioned that the car has multiple storage areas that can be used to carry lugage for a weekend family holiday. Additionally, the Roadster is essentially a four-seater, though the back seats won’t really be a comfortable place for full size adults.
2020 Tesla Roadster specifications
This is where the Tesla Roadster sounds completely insane! Powered by a 200 kW battery pack, the new 2020 Roadster is propelled by a system of three motors, 2 at the back and 1 at the front. This powertrain setup is capable of producing well over 10,000 Nm of torque, which is just out of this world. To bring things in perspective, the latest Bugatti Chiron develops 1,600 Nm of torque.
Thanks to all this, the Tesla Roadster can accelerate from 0-96 km/h in just 1.9 seconds. It is the first car to break the 2-second barrier to reach these speeds. The Roadster has also been crowned as the world’s fastest production car ever made. It doesn’t really stop here as well! The light-weight electric sportscar is capable of accelerating up to 160 km/h in just 4.9 seconds, before touching its earth-shattering top speed of over 402 km/h.
With all this performance coming from a completely electric car, it is obvious to think that the charge in the batteries won’t really last long. However, Tesla has defied all logics here as well! The Roadster is claimed to have a driving range of over 1,000 km on a single charge. And if all this wasn’t enough, you can also get a range of around 650 km with just half an hour of charge.
| Battery Pack | 200 kW |
| Motors | 3 motors (2 at the back, 1 at the front) |
| Acceleration (0-96 km/h) | 1.9 seconds |
| Acceleration (0-160 km/h) | 4.9 seconds |
| Top Speed | Over 402 km/h |
| Driving range | 1,000 km |
Tesla Roadster price and bookings
Tesla Motors has already started accepting bookings for the new Roadster 2020. There are two models on offer. The basic version starts at $200,000 and can be booked by paying a token amount of $50,000. Meanwhile, there’s also a Founders Series version which will be delivered on priority and will come with even better performance figures. This more premium version is priced at $250,000 and can be booked by paying the entire amount first-hand.
Production of the new Tesla Roadster begins from 2020. Hene, if you book a car now, you are likely to receive delivery by the end of 2020. However, it is worth noting that Tesla has till now never met its deadlines. Hence, we expect the first 2020 Tesla Roadster to be delivered sometime in 2022.