Tesla Roadster Sport packs a little more punch for a lot more coin

Filed under: Convertibles, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

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With 150 Roadsters delivered to customers and another 1,100 people on the waiting list, Tesla decided now's the time to release a more performance oriented version its Elise-based EV. The Tesla Roadster Sport features a hand-wound stator that increases winding density to help eliminate resistance while increasing peak torque. In conjunction with a set of Yokohama Ultra High Performance tires (likely the same Advan A048s fitted to the Elise/Exige), Tesla claims a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds - 0.2-seconds faster than the standard Roadster. The Roadster Sport also benefits from a few other Lotus-derived components, including adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars that can be tweaked to suit the driver's tastes.

Deliveries of the Roadster Sport will begin in late June, with a starting price of $128,500 in the US and €112,000 (excluding VAT) in Europe. Customers on the waiting list for their "base" Roadster have the option to upgrade to the Sport model, but if you're looking for more stick, a nice set of Ohlins, some aftermarket sway bars and a new set of tires could be had for considerably less than the $28,000 premium of the Sport model.

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Tesla Roadster Sport packs a little more punch for a lot more coin originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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