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Saturday, July 16, 2011
In the beginning, there was the Tesla Roadster. Well, not really the beginning; there were other electric cars before it. But should battery-only powered cars indeed become as common as some believe, this pricey sports car might be remembered as the one that was well ahead of its time.
The Tesla Roadster has been on the road since 2008, yet only now is there another all-electric car for sale -- the Nissan Leaf. While the Leaf is a long-awaited answer for green-oriented daily driving, the little 2011 Tesla Roadster still holds the crown for range, besting the Leaf by more than 100 miles. It's also a certifiable sports car, with staggeringly quick and quiet acceleration paired with razor-sharp handling. The latter is because the Tesla is based on the Lotus Elise, a paradigm for lightweight, stripped-down motoring.
There are problems with that DNA, however. Like the Elise, the Tesla Roadster has the most cramped cabin of any car sold in this country. It's difficult to get in and out of (especially with the removable roof in place) and, once in, you'll find yourself rubbing shoulders with the person next to you. At least Tesla has added carpeting, sound insulation and other higher-quality materials to make the interior nicer (and quieter). Still, there's no escaping the stark cabin ambience even with the pricey "Executive" leather package. Frankly, we expect a whole lot more refinement and luxury features for $100,000.
The ride is also quite firm (less so with the optional adjustable suspension), and the non-power steering that is such a delight through corners is bound to be a pain in parking lots. So from a practicality standpoint, the 2011 Tesla Roadster runs out of juice even among exotic sports cars, especially when you consider its comparatively limited range and the 3.5-hour recharge time. Even its gasoline-free powertrain won't necessarily be that cheap to feed, depending on how much you pay for electricity.
And yet, like most sports cars, the Tesla's practicality quotient probably won't be a huge concern for those with sufficient means to pick one up as yet another weekend toy. You won't be the early electric adopter as you once could've been, but if you're looking for a wickedly fast and fun sports car that will never have to visit a gasoline station, then the 2011 Tesla Roadster is more than just a trendsetter.
Inside, the Tesla earns retouched interior trim and new seats that the company claims are more comfortable, with bigger bolsters and more lumbar support. The new Electronics Bundle, comprising a seven-inch touch-screen navigation system with back-up camera, costs a cool $4500. Along with the improved sound deadening, the updates should make it easier to live with the Roadster on a daily basis.
It’s hard to consider a vehicle of this size and sparse appointment as a luxury car, but it’s certainly a luxury product. It costs well over $120,000 and it’s extremely rare. More pertinently, the lack of engine noise make it a uniquely soothing way to sit in traffic. If you have a stop-and-go commute, this is the way to make it tolerable. The electric motor and analog control interfaces make it possible to measure each crawl of the traffic with a pharmacist’s precision. You’re not “burning gas” just sitting there; instead, you’re drawing a miniscule amount of power from a massive reserve. Compared to the incompetently-orchestrated friction-burn of a double-clutch transmission in a downtown jam, this is pure mechanical Nirvana.
When that oh-so-rare hole in the next lane appears, your Roadster Sport will simply leap into it, no fuss, no muss. If you can see a gap, you can get to that gap. With any luck, there’s a power plug waiting at your destination. Using the plug from a motel air conditioner, I was able to bring the Tesla from three-quarters drained to nearly full overnight. Luckily, it wasn’t particularly hot that night.
The 2011 Tesla Roadster is equipped with a 375-volt AC-induction air-cooled electric motor that produces 288 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The Sport gets a bump to 295 lb-ft of torque. Both come with a single-speed transmission. The base Roadster goes from zero to 60 mph in a Tesla-estimated 3.9 seconds. The Sport is 0.2 second quicker.
Tesla says the Roadster's lithium-ion battery has a maximum range of 245 miles. Using the optional high-power 240-volt charger, it should take 3.5 hours to recharge from empty.
Driving Impressions
As much as the Tesla's interior suffers for its Lotus Elise roots, it greatly benefits when it comes to handling. The suspension might've been softened in Tesla guise, but this is still one of the best-handling cars on the market. The available 10-mode adjustable suspension has the potential to make it even better. You'd think that an electric car would have electric power steering, but the Tesla Roadster in fact has zero power steering, and this makes for superb response and feel but a lousy time in parking lots.The real story, though, is the eerily muted thrust from the electric motor. Tire noise is more audible than the subdued whine from the electronics tucked behind your right shoulder, yet the Roadster's acceleration is breathtaking, especially from a standing start with all that torque on tap.
reference:www.caranddriver.com,www.leftlanenews.com,www.edmunds.com
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