Like most of our beloved ridiculously conceived ( and priced ) vehicles, there has been but one retort to the many naysayers who balk at purposeful design, functionality, and high cost.
That response is simply : DRIVE IT!
On an overcast morning 3ZERO3 Motorsports yours truly along with our well connected photographer/videographer Adam Mattivi, made the trip up highway 36 to visit the new Tesla Gallery in Boulder and drive the Tesla Roadster.
Click along to get our impressions and experiences with a six figure electric sports car.
( Spoiler alert : we loved it !)
THE TESLA GALLERY
Located at 915 Pearl St, the Tesla Gallery is right at home in the north end of Boulder’s salient Pearl Street pedestrian mall. A showroom this is not. This place even smells like art ( that’s a good thing ). Stainless steel bar stools, complimentary espresso, and shiny Mac computers with wireless keyboards adorn the open concept layout. High end product images and Scandinavian furniture provide ample opportunity for comfortable and stylish relaxation while you wait for your Tesla vehicle to charge ( there is a charging station in the back of the building for customers).
What used to be here ? Some kind of furniture something or other, ahhhh who cares.
Great space to wait and recharge your batteries. ( punny)
A glass front for all to see.
The goods.
Tesla Sedan, coming to a gallery near you.
ITS ELECTRIC
The power and performance of these all electric vehicles is sinister. When you first lay into the throttle ( nay : gas pedal ) 100% of torque is available from a dead stop. I was convinced this motor made at least 1,000 ft-lbs of torque . I was shocked to find out that it didn’t.
0-60MPH in 3.9 seconds, less 2 tenths for the Sport edition. We can confirm his figure is REAL. The Tesla Roadster accelerates with ferocious intention.With 100% of torque on tap at 1 RPM, there are few cars on the planet that will beat the Tesla Roadster from 0-30MPH. Aggressive acceleration left both driver and passenger giddy, and giggling.
Driving the future.
Taking the charge.
The Tesla battery life is good for a claimed 236 miles per single charge. The roadster we test drove featured two driving modes; max battery life and performance. After an hour of spirited driving, we were left feeling that with a conservative driver in the appropriate battery mode, 250 miles could be achieved.
How long does it take to achieve a full charge ? 15 seconds !
Okay, so that’s not entirely true. Tesla claims on their website that charging at 250V and 70A, a full charge can be achieved in 3.5 hours. But when we first asked store coordinator Erin Callan how long it takes to charge a Tesla Roadster, she replied smartly:
“15 seconds”.
WHAT ?!
“How long does it take to charge your iPhone ? Just plug it in when you get home, and it’ll be ready when you need it,”, Erin quipped.
Her answer proved insightful. The Tesla approach is full of fresh thinking, and is clearly reflected in that of the staff .
ROAD TEST
To drive is to believe. I have to admit that like many of you, I had my doubts about the true value of these cars. But believe me, its there. I will also say that I hated the Cayenne Turbo when Porsche first announced the vehicle late in 2003. Then I drove one, then I bought one.
The Tesla Roadster isn’t for everyone, clearly. Its a purpose built car, despite its green accolades its designed for out and out performance, and not for driving cross country. The latter a nagging criticism for all electric cars.
Though when comparing other cars in this segment, you rarely see Porsche 911 Turbo’s filling up at gas stations in Iowa as drivers make cross country trips. You don’t spend this kind of money for road trip vehicles, it just doesn’t happen. You don’t buy $100,000 cars to drive them cross country. You buy them because they are exciting, you buy them to piss off your neighbors, you buy them because you can. The Tesla Roadster does all three.
Ok maybe it won’t (necessarily ) anger off your neighbor, but it could, the electric motor’s instantaneous torque delivery could make for some epic burnouts and lawn jobs. Come to think of it, your neighbor would never even hear you while you did figure 8’s in his freshly laden sod ! I smell a viral video! Yet, I digress…..
The touch screen.
On a 53F degree day, at 10:54am on Friday April 16, at an elevation of 5,300ft, Adam and I set out on a test drive. Both graduates of the University of Colorado, we knew exactly where to head. We left the Tesla Gallery, hopped onto Canyon Blvd, and quickly headed up the Boulder Canyon.
Sweep, curve, and contour.
The backroads to Nederland are some of the best in the state. The slow speed corners, and climbing elevation proved ideal for the responsive chassis and instant power.
LOW.
Why reinvent the wheel ?The Lotus Elise sourced chassis is an ideal fit for this vehicle. The monocoque design, and 4 wheel independent suspension provided precise handling.Owners can request custom spring and dampener rates when ordering. While driving we felt as though our bottoms were no more than 3 inches off the ground.
Driver swap.
With the top in place, climbing into the roadster can be a bit of a challenge. We were reminded of the street performer on Pearl St that regularly bends himself inside of plastic tubing for spare change. I chose to slide over the center console and steal the drivers seat from Adam when he hopped out to make a stop earlier in the drive. Here Adam chose a more conventional approach to ingress.
The road ahead.
With no power assist from the rack and pinion steering, hair pin corners like the one ahead were a bit hairy-er. ( more punny)
Flip it.
The flip video camera comes everywhere. What does it mean when your suction 360 mount costs more than the camera it positions ? It means Adam geeks out on camera equipment.But we don’t mind! Video coming soon…..
The wheel deal.
With no power assist, and twisty roads ahead of us, the steering wheel remained a focus for the driver. This beefy, aerated leather Momo unit proved exceptional.
Student crossing !
Driving in downtown boulder while school is in session is harrowing. With students, bikers, skaters, and all manner of pedestrian popping out of nowhere. Driving the utterly silent Tesla made us ever more aware of these potential hazards. Though to be honest the Tesla commands a tremendous curb appeal. We smiled as knowing collegiates gawked at our electric supercar.
Million dollar details.
I love details like this. Cars commanding $100,000 or more should be full of million dollar details ( don’t tell Corvette Z06 owners) The 90 degree door hinge on the roadster was one of my favorites.
Mac inspired ?
The transmission selector switches felt great, and looked the part. Seemingly lifted from a Mac Book Pro, we were told that we need not come to a complete stop before transitioning between drive and reverse on the selector ( up to 5MPH anyways). But I just can’t bring myself to select reverse while the car is still rolling at any speed.
Details, details….
Air inlet with exposed carbon fiber, feeds cooling air to the rear mounted electric motors over the rear quarter panels. You can see the red electric cable hiding behind the carbon trim. I relish the ( often ) refined use of carbon fiber on the Tesla Roadster.
Performance + scale.
The tiny roadster next to the not so tiny Adam Mattivi.
RESULTS :
We loved it, shocking we know.I tend to love all $100,000.00 + sports cars. But the Tesla Roadster will surprise you. Having owned a twin turbo Audi S4, and Cayenne Turbo, I am aptly described as a petrol head. But the Tesla Roadster made me think; this would be an amazing toy. Assuming I had something to get up to the mountains and back for snowboarding season, the Tesla Roadster would make a pretty fantastic second or third car.
The stats are only one part of this equation. Those of you quickly comparing this car to similarly priced sports cars ( new and used ) will undoubtably question the battery range, and top speed performance along with the exclusive price. But that is essentially missing the point.
There is a cool factor built into these cars, that is different from and largely absent from most other exclusive car marques. This is a techy car, built for a techy consumer. Despite essentially dropping in a electric driveline in a Lotus chassis, the Tesla is greater than the sum of its parts.
The car is a technological champion, and it reminds you of that constantly. You are not driving an electric Lotus, you are in a Tesla. The driving experience becomes instantly addictive. The sound of the electric motor swooshing and whirring behind your shoulders, the lack of any exhaust noise, I thought would leave me in want. But truly did not.
The Tesla roadster makes a compelling argument for the well funded enthusiast, looking for a new toy.
Don’t believe me ? DRIVE IT !
Tesla sales specialist Ben Kanner shared with us that Tesla owners help constantly to improve, and reinvent this brand. And we felt that. You become very involved in the driving process, and instantly sucked into the brand. The Tesla driving experience changes your perception on performance. Like all technological innovation, there are always necessary permutations before the optimal product is achieved, but Tesla ought to be commended for one helluva of a first try.
Many thanks to the good people at Tesla, Boulder for giving us the opportunity.
If you have any questions, or are in need of your own test drive, please contact :
In an effort to bring you best in performance for Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche, as well as green performance, 3ZERO3 Motorsports proudly searches high and low to bring interesting content to our readers. If you have any questions about how to improve fuel economy or performance in your Porsche, Audi or Volkswagen please give us a shout : info@3zero3motorsports.com. For the last 5 years 3ZERO3 Motorsports has employed factory trained technicians, advisors and parts managers in an effort to provide the highest level of maintenance, repair, and high performance tuning products for our Denver and Colorado customers.
Copyright © 2009 3ZERO3 Motorsports Inc. All rights reserved.
Website Fueled By Unleaded Software | Photography By Adam Mattivi Photography
3ZERO3 Motorsports Inc.
8065 W. 48th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO, 80033
Fax: (303) 456-8385 | info@3zero3motorsports.com
So Clean!! Tesla is Avesome!
Excellent report, I want one! What are your thoughts on the “battery not so green because making electricity is still messy” debate?
Brod,
That is a perspective that I haven’t truly evaluated yet, but does appear to be a criticism worth looking at. Knowing what we do about who designs, and builds these products, I can’t imagine that however damaging that criticism is, would truly devalue the green aspect of their product. My final though on the matter is that while I am certain that the manufacturing processes for these batteries/generators can be improved, much like a Marxist socio-political revolution, this is a necessary step in the development of the truly optimized, green sports machine !