Look at this car: 2011 Tesla Roadster

posted on August 16, 2024

Take a break with these pretty pictures

Every few Fridays, we like to bring you moments of zen in the form of some of our favorite motorcars from around the Turo marketplace. Let’s keep the fun going. We like cars, you like cars, so let’s look at some cars.

Tesla’s first model was one of the most important pioneers for the electric vehicle segment. The little Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster proved the viability of the company’s early technology, and more than anything else, that EVs could be fun. Just over 2,400 were ever produced and very few have gotten to drive a Roadster, but the model’s performance impressed across the board when it was launched and the compact design still looks sleek today.

Saroj’s 2011 Roadster Sport in Maryland has a 288-horsepower, air-cooled AC-induction electric motor that rockets to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, which was immensely exciting in a year where the top selling electric models were the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt. The Roadster could also do over 200 miles on a single charge from the factory — less than today’s EVs but still plenty for what you’d use a sports car for. What may have changed the most is the charging time — in 2011, the Roadster needed 37 hours on a standard 120-volt plug, or three-to-four hours with the Tesla quick charger you could have installed at your home. Today, a Tesla Supercharger can fill a Model 3 to 80% in about 20 minutes.

These days, EV drivers are used to immediate torque, regenerative braking, and uninterrupted acceleration — often exceeding what you can achieve with a comparable gas-powered car. But at the time of the Roadster’s production, its single-gear transmission provided a novel experience and really set a precedent for the spectacular straight-line speed we expect in high-end EVs today. Hit up Saroj in the DC area to sample one of the chief electric trailblazers.

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