November 16, 2017—that's when Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster. Fast forward to February 28, 2024, the electric sports car is still a no-show. But if we're to believe Tesla supremo Elon Musk, the wait is almost over. The controversial CEO took to his X (formerly Twitter) social media platform to talk about the long overdue performance EV.
If there's one executive in the automotive business who knows how to hype up a product, it's certainly Musk. He made some rather bold statements to advertise the new Roadster, saying "there will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car." Tesla's head honcho also noted, "I think it has a shot at being the most mind-blowing product demo of all time."
Oh, and apparently it will hit 60 mph in less than one second.
Tonight, we radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car.
Tesla's top brass went on to mention the design has been finalized and we'll get to see the production model near the end of the year. The goal is to kick off customer deliveries at some point in 2025, but knowing the company's modus operandi, one can never be too sure.
Considering roughly six and a half years have passed since the Roadster concept debuted, it's time to revisit the technical specifications promised by Tesla. It was originally claimed to reach 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and do 0-100 mph in 4.2 seconds, with a quarter mile time of 8.8 seconds. The all-wheel-drive machine with four seats promises to exceed 250 mph and cover 620 miles on a single charge.
I think it has a shot at being the most mind-blowing product demo of all time
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
The next Tesla Roadster is supposed to have a removable glass roof that goes into the trunk when not in use. An old tweet—er, post by Musk in June 2018 talked about a SpaceX option with "10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly." In May 2021, Musk claimed the car would do 0 to 60 mph in an unbelievable 1.1 seconds.
Because that wasn't crazy enough, Musk now says it'll do it in less than 1 second. We're rather skeptical about this claim. The bonkers McMurtry Speirling can do it in 1.4 seconds with Avon slick tires and it's not even road-legal whereas the Roadster will have a license plate. The Spéirling also weighs nothing, at 2,200 pounds, surely a lot less than whatever the much larger Roadster will weigh.
0-60mph < 1 sec
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
And that is the least interesting part
As usual with Musk's promises, take these posts with the proverbial pinch of salt. We'll believe it when we see it. Even the original technical specifications announced in November 2017 would be more than enough.
Ahead of the claimed reveal in late 2024, Tesla will happily accept reservations for $50,000 a pop. Provided it hasn't changed, Roadster pricing varies from $200,000 to $250,000. That's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but it is somewhat of a bargain compared to a Rimac Nevera that costs over $2 million and doesn't have rear seats, nor does it morph into a convertible. The McMurtry Spéirling we mentioned earlier is about $1 million.
