Tesla Roadster Sport

Text: Jack Rix / Photos: Pete Gibson

February 2010

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• Latest deal price: from £91,633 to £106,901

US firm Tesla is taking a step in the right direction! A year after its revolutionary electric Roadster went on sale in the UK, the first right-hand-drive versions have arrived here.

So, we got behind the wheel of the higher-powered Sport model on British roads.

The standard Roadster was never short on power, but if you specify the Sport version, it comes with a Performance mode that unleashes an extra 20Nm of torque. That’s enough to cut the 0-60mph time from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds – taking the Tesla into supercar territory.

Drive with a heavy right foot, and the claimed 200-mile range soon dips into double figures. But pay an extra £2,300, and the firm will install a 70-amp charging box at your house – allowing a full top-up in as
little as three-and-a-half hours.

Only stripped-out track specials, such as Caterham’s R500 and the Ariel Atom Supercharged, come close to matching the Tesla’s amazing acceleration. Sure, it’s hugely expensive, but you always have to pay for new technology – and this electric car is way ahead of its time. If you want your own slice of automotive history, however, be quick – Tesla has announced that the Roadster will cease production in 2011.

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