A unique Tesla Roadster sold at auction

All Tesla models offer a Plaid version or a Performance version. This was not the case for the Roadster. Well, almost not…

Tesla unveiled the Roadster, its very first car, in July 2006 and began production in early 2008. Developing a convertible from scratch would have been too expensive, so Elon Musk ordered a batch of aluminum shells from the Elise at Lotus. He then asked his engineers to completely rethink the philosophy of the lightweight little British convertible to equip it with an electric powertrain. The lightness was no longer there, but Tesla was underway.

Approximately 2,450 units of the Roadster were assembled in California until the end of production in 2012. While the car was not fundamentally a lightning bolt, the Tesla Roadster holds a unique place in the history of electric vehicles in that it was the first and to this day the last vehicle designed solely for sporty use by Tesla.

The first Tesla Performance?

The online auction site CarsandBids currently has a particularly intriguing 2011 Roadster for sale. It is said to be the development mule of a Performance variant that was ultimately never marketed. It boasts numerous improvements over the standard car including an exposed carbon fiber body, front and rear four-piston Tarox brakes, an upgraded differential, optimized ABS tuning, and much more. It has only 31,800 miles on the odometer, a bit over 51,000 km, which is very low for a development car and thus leaves some doubt regarding its exact origin. The CARFAX report is complete and indicates that it has been kept in the Western and Southern states. If this example is indeed the only development car of this stillborn Roadster Performance version, then it is indeed a very special piece of Tesla’s history. Otherwise, it is a great Roadster that you could have the batteries replaced to enjoy for many more years.

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