Roadster on Top Gear - Page 3

vfx · 12-07-2008, 10:47 PM

Bradleybang · 12-07-2008, 10:50 PM

I'll guess 1:24 but only if Tesla set it up with traction off and battery full.

It will be wierd to watch as Tesla/Lotus engineered not to slip / drift and that track requires it.

I think roadster will do well acceleration wise on this track, its just will braking and drifting be so different that Stig can't time it.

Oh and Clarkson will pan it.

dpeilow · 12-07-2008, 10:58 PM

Boris Johnson sees the electric light on Top Gear

vfx · 12-07-2008, 11:06 PM

Google maps of Top Gear track This one shows ft and m

Google Earth fly through: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=838400
cl-03-19-07-126177525

dexlargo · 12-08-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vfx

Ok this site Fastest Lap has some more info. Speeds are listed but it's not clear if the speed is fastest achieved or an average. I also filtered so just rear wheel cars are listed.

I did the math, and the speeds listed are the average speed for the lap.

My guess is also that the Roadster will be in the high 1:20s if not 30s. I think that the weight is going to kill it in the corners.

I don't think that the top speed will be an issue. I could be wrong, but I just don't think that the straights are long enough for it to become an issue.

dpeilow · 12-08-2008, 10:36 AM

A quick look at Google Earth shows that from the start to Crooner Curve and then from Chicago to Hammerhead are both over a third of a mile, so they should be getting close to top speed by then. Also from the Follow Through down to Bacharach they should easily hit top speed.

Google Maps

graham · 12-08-2008, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dexlargo

My guess is also that the Roadster will be in the high 1:20s if not 30s. I think that the weight is going to kill it in the corners.

I don't think that the top speed will be an issue. I could be wrong, but I just don't think that the straights are long enough for it to become an issue.

I agree. I think the top speed of the Ariel Atom something like 135... not all that much higher than the 125 for the Roadster - and it still made an amazing time.

So perhaps you are correct, and cornering will be the limiting factor. The Roadster should accelerate faster than an Elise, but corner (and probably brake) worse. So there is a chance the Roadster will not even match the Elise in the overall track time.

dpeilow · 12-08-2008, 10:52 AM

The supercharged version tops out at 155mph.

graham · 12-08-2008, 10:55 AM

Is that model the one they ran on the Top Gear track a few years ago?

vfx · 12-08-2008, 11:06 AM

If the Fastest Lap speeds listed are average times the it looks like the Tesla max speed will indeed be a huge issue.

This page says,

Quote:

Designed by Lotus,[1][2] the layout of the track is designed to put the car through various conditions, ranging from provoking understeer to testing brake balance and tires. It is about 1.75 miles (2.82 km) in length, and the track is considered to be an equaliser for cars, since both 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) times and top speed are totally meaningless to the programme...

So the Tesla Roadster gets a general advantage with a quick acceleration 0-60 off the line, out of Chicago, and the Hammerhead but is limited to 125 miles per hour in the 4 straightaways. A Lotus-designed car on a Lotus-designed track bodes well for Tesla but if the Lotus Exige S' average time is 119 mph then it goes to reason that 1/2 the time is was speeding much faster than that speed. The Exige 0-60 time is close to Tesla at 4.1 sec but the top speed is a much greater 150mph. The Exige did 1:25.1
It's that top end limitation that will kill the Roadster's numbers. Sadly I'm going to estimate at Roadster time of 1:29.2.

By the way, These guys all drool at the sound of 8,12,or16 sets of explosions from the gasoline burning engines. I think there will be severe knocks for the "whine" of an electric motor.