Tesla was supposed to be unveiling their take on the Semi-truck, which they did. And it is very aerody-oh who cares!? There is a new Tesla Roadster!
Tesla surprised us all by unveiling the new Roadster alongside the semi and saying it is "much improved" over the original would be an understatement.
https://t.co/0rBaJNQrum pic.twitter.com/pyoDmOj4XC
— Tesla (@Tesla) November 17, 2017
First off, the car looks gorgeous. The original was a stretched Lotus with battery packs. It looked alright, but did very little to hide the fact that it was just a re-worked Elise. This new design is all-original and beats the old Roadster's range by more than double, going 620 miles on a charge.
But that is not the best part. Sure, the new roadster has range. Sure, it can reportedly reach a top speed of over 250 mph. Sure, it runs under 9 seconds in the quarter mile. But what has automotive journalists everywhere tripping over their words like idiots (ourselves included) is that it could be the fastest production car in history to 60 miles an hour at 1.9 seconds. That is, to borrow a phrase, Ludicrous! And it only gets better.
Tesla's driving modes have a well known Easter Egg: The fastest mode is called "Ludicrous Mode," an homage to Mel Brook's classic "Spaceballs." Or at least, it WAS the fastest mode.
Going into plaid pic.twitter.com/OUU9s7CUwI
— Tesla (@Tesla) November 17, 2017
The new Roadster has what is called "Plaid" mode. Which unlocks the ability to get the 1.9 second 0-60 times. Faster than you can ask, "Light speed too slow?" you could be merging onto the freeway at speed.
How Tesla kept this off our radar, we have no idea, maybe they gave us the raspberry?
Tesla gave rides to a few people after the reveal, and Youtuber DragTimes was one of them. Watch his brain go into his feet as he goes straight to Plaid.
Never underestimate the power of the Schwartz! After the ride, he and his buddies are taken aback at how much faster it was than their Ludicrous mode-equipped Model S. This car will overshoot everything short of a Dodge Demon by a week and a half as soon as it gets to a drag strip.
When will then be now? Soon. Because we're at now, now, and Elon Musk says the Roadster is being build as we speak.
We are making it now, Musk says of new Roadster. pic.twitter.com/RAi6UNLjM7
— David Undercoffler (@autolist_dave) November 17, 2017
The Roadster will cost $200,000, according to CNN Money. That's a price that would even make Pizza the Hutt blush, but remember, the claimed performance is right on par with the best Bugatti has to offer. And even the outgoing Veyron costs more than the reward for rescuing a Druish princess at $1.7 million space bucks.
Would you be brave (dumb?) enough to try out the new Plaid mode on the street? What's the matter Colonel Sandurz? Chicken!?
Related: Tesla's Elon Musk released a mixtape of his most explosive failures