2024 Tesla Roadster

It's been a decade since production of the first Tesla Roadster came to an end. We've known about the second-generation Tesla Roadster for some time, as has been the case with the Cybertruck, but both are still missing in action. Still, the Roadster promises to be a record-breaking model when it eventually arrives and a step up from its predecessor in every way. Interestingly, this will be Tesla's first model to enter a second generation if Elon Musk's suggested timelines are correct. The new Tesla Roadster will have a 0-60 time of 1.9 seconds, a top speed of over 250 mph, and a 620-mile range - at least, those are the claims. If all those numbers are achievable in the real world, it will be untouchable. Here's what we know about Tesla's sports car so far.

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Revealed late in 2017, it's still unclear exactly when the Tesla Roadster's release date is. Tesla originally targeted a 2020 launch, but the latest word from Elon Musk is that the car will only go into production in 2023. Promisingly, Tesla reopened reservations for the Roadster in April 2022 after closing them, so hopefully, the car is on track for an arrival in 2023.

The 2024 Tesla Roadster's price is as eye-opening as its performance. Merely reserving one of these cars will cost you $50,000. At the time of writing, Tesla did not have a base price published on its website, but previous indications suggest that the Tesla Roadster will start at a $200,000 MSRP for the base model and go up to $250,000 for a limited Founders Series model.

Electric sports cars are rare, so pinning down rivals for the 2024 Roadster in the USA is a challenge. For similar money, there are a few incredibly powerful cars with excellent mpg (or MPGe) ratings. At around $30,000 less, the Acura NSX Type S hybrid is an interesting alternative but is on its way out. Even cheaper is the wonderful Audi RS e-tron GT, but that's a more luxurious GT. Another hybrid supercar in the form of the 671-hp McLaren Artura could sway you away from the Tesla. None of these cars are nearly as quick as the Tesla, though. For something that can match those claims, you'd have to look towards the $2,400,000 Rimac Nevera.

The Tesla Roadster's exterior looks close to being production-ready. This is a four-seat sports car with a removable glass roof and a sporty, uncluttered design. Like other Tesla models, the exterior is smooth and mostly free of embellishments. It has a low front hood, sharply angled headlights, and a sporty lower bumper. Muscular fenders and large wheels dominate the side view, and the rising beltline leads to a shapely rear-end with an integrated spoiler.

The glass roof panel can be stored in the trunk and provides open-air motoring for those in front, although rear-seat passengers will still have a roof above them.

As for the Tesla Roadster's colors, it was shown in red but we hope Tesla deviates from its rather limited color palette which offers little more than black, white, grey, and blue. Overall, it is a sporty, modern, and sophisticated sports car that makes the most of Tesla's traditional design cues.

The Tesla Roadster's dimensions haven't been shared yet, but it should be bigger than the first-generation model that could only seat two. That first Roadster was around 155.4 inches long, 73.7 inches wide, and 44.4 inches in height. The wheelbase was just 92.6 inches.

Expected to be equipped with three electric motors - one in the front and two at the back - the all-wheel-drive Tesla Roadster has been touted as the quickest car in the world. Remember, the record-breaking Model S Plaid also has three motors and makes 1,020 horsepower, so the Roadster should be capable of the same. Tesla has released a few specs including wheel torque of 10,000 Nm which translates to 7,375 lb-ft.

The performance figures would have seemed scarcely believable if the Model S Plaid wasn't already around. Tesla claims that the Roadster will go from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, 0-100 mph in 4.2, and can clear the quarter-mile in a blistering 8.8 seconds. The top speed will be over 250 mph, which would be some achievement for an EV.

Will it be another painfully fast but emotionless EV, or will Tesla find a way to make the Roadster fun in the corners, too? We'll have to wait and see.

EVs have only just begun surpassing 500 miles of range, as is the case with the Lucid Air sedan. Bearing that in mind, Tesla's claim of the Roadster going 620 miles on a full charge sounds optimistic. But with a 200-kWh battery, perhaps this claim isn't beyond belief.

The new Tesla Roadster coupe should be capable of Tesla's 250-kW charging speeds. At a Tesla Supercharger, about 200 miles of range can be added in 15 minutes.

The Tesla Roadster's interior shares a button-free, rather stark approach with other models in the brand's range. While the production model might be different, the dashboard we've seen is nothing more than a horizontal slab without anything on it. The one main difference inside compared to other Teslas is that there is a floating, lengthened touchscreen display in the center. There is also no traditional gauge cluster, and the steering wheel is the company's contentious yoke design.

The Tesla Roadster's front seats are sporty buckets that appear comfortable and supportive, but the second-row pews are far smaller and will likely only be suitable for kids. This will be a 2+2 seater in the same vein as the Porsche 911.

Tesla's usual white and black interior looks like it will be on the menu, and a swathe of carbon fiber seems to cover the dashboard. More sporty and high-tech than plush, we look forward to seeing if the Roadster's interior quality has taken a step up from other Teslas.

The Tesla Roadster's cargo space is concealed beneath a long rear hatch, although it doesn't look like there'll be much space in there if the roof is stowed. Information about the Roadster's frunk is unknown - or if it will even have one at all. The absence of a visible shutline at the front edge of the hood leads us to believe that there won't be a frunk and that all your belongings must be stored in the rear trunk or on the back seats.