Tesla Roadster is known among gearheads and electric car advocates as being the sports car that smashes all preconceptions about electric vehicles. Courtesy of Tesla UK, we were loaned a 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport 2.5, in Lightning Green, a new color for the 2.5 models.
Has the Tesla Roadster Sport 2.5 broken the mold again?
In a resplendent Lightning Green, the 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport 2.5 creates an air of luxury from the outset. With a revised grille, redesigned wheel arches and sporty new black alloy wheels, the 2.5 revision of the Roadster Sport looks more aggressive.
Just like so many sports cars, gaining access to the passenger seat is entertaining. Unlike many high-performance cars, the 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport 2.5 is mild-mannered around town. Thanks to a single-gear, the car drives like an automatic, complete with creep function, making stop-start driving easy. At low speed, the Roadster is beautifully quiet.
Electric-car maker Tesla has updated its Roadster for 2011, quelling rumors that the two-seater would disappear next year. The revised car, called Roadster 2.5, has freshened styling and equipment changes to make it more livable for electro enthusiasts. Tesla is taking orders for the revised Roadster 2.5 now with deliveries to begin soon.
Owners of older Roadsters will be able to buy some of the upgrades from Tesla dealerships to retrofit their cars.
Green cars are not supposed to be like this. They’re for hairshirt wearing, bike path populating hippies who are obsessed with how few miles their produce has traveled and whether their child’s Kindergarten is LEED Certified Gold for eco-friendliness.
LOTUS ORIGINS NOT LOST ON THIS GREEN MACHINE
Heavier, of course, being a relative term, since the Elise weighs just less than 2,000 lbs, while the Tesla, electric drivetrain and all, is about 2,700 lbs. That’s 400 lbs less than a Honda Civic Si, considered a “compact” car by the EPA.
Like all great sports cars, the Tesla is best driven under ideal conditions; glass smooth roads, sunny weather and little traffic. The weather held up, and the car performed admirably in stop-and-go situations, but if you live in an area with poor roads, the Tesla might be a bit of a chore. In city driving, the Tesla is quiet, comfortable and easy to maneuver.
STIFF RIDE, LOW-GRADE TRIM AMONG DRAWBACKS
As incredible as it is, the Tesla has its drawbacks beyond the stiff ride. With an estimated range of 250 miles the Tesla isn’t a long distance car, and your mileage may vary. The Tesla Roadster 2.5 S is a massively impressive vehicle, more spacecraft than sports car. Theories like global warming, peak oil and rising oil prices should no longer bring heart palpitations to car fans. The Tesla shows just how good zero-emissions “green” technology can be.
