I sold my Porsche 911S to get my Model S P85+ 13 months ago, and have little regret. But, I would love a Tesla sports car a few years from now. Do we have any real information from Tesla that would suggest they will build a Roadster replacement in the future? Since their mission is to get the world off fossil fuels, I see the Model X, Gen 3, and a pickup truck as going much further toward reaching that goal, than a low volume, low demand sports car.... I have thought about a used Roadster, but I have been spoiled by keyless ignition, auto presenting handles, etc.....
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adiggs
Well-Known Member
I figure if you want a low volume, low demand sports car, then there's a particular driving experience you're looking for. And keyless ignition, auto presenting handles, 17" touch screen are nice secondary features, but they aren't primarily what you're looking for in a sports car 
My guess is that you won't see a Tesla Roadster Reborn for ~10 years or more. Gen 3, pickup truck as you mention, along with other higher volume variants of the Gen 3, are going to have Tesla busy for awhile. With all the other irons they have in the fire, I don't expect Tesla to come back to the sports car market until they can do something exceptionally good. Considering some of the other concepts we've seen out there (I'm thinking of the Merc 4 motor sports car) and what 10 years of advancements will look like, Tesla will actually have a challenging bar to clear if they're focused on doing something really exceptional (which I expect they will be).
Upshot of it all - if you're wanting an electric sports car, then you need a used Roadster now. You can always sell/trade it later when the more modern Roadster hits the streets.
Note: I also DO expect that Tesla WILL come back to the sports car some day, and when they do, they'll do something outrageously wonderful with it. But would you want to wait ~10 years??
My guess is that you won't see a Tesla Roadster Reborn for ~10 years or more. Gen 3, pickup truck as you mention, along with other higher volume variants of the Gen 3, are going to have Tesla busy for awhile. With all the other irons they have in the fire, I don't expect Tesla to come back to the sports car market until they can do something exceptionally good. Considering some of the other concepts we've seen out there (I'm thinking of the Merc 4 motor sports car) and what 10 years of advancements will look like, Tesla will actually have a challenging bar to clear if they're focused on doing something really exceptional (which I expect they will be).
Upshot of it all - if you're wanting an electric sports car, then you need a used Roadster now. You can always sell/trade it later when the more modern Roadster hits the streets.
Note: I also DO expect that Tesla WILL come back to the sports car some day, and when they do, they'll do something outrageously wonderful with it. But would you want to wait ~10 years??
Once they have Gen 3 working it won't be more difficult to make a sports car off of that then it is to make the Model X off of the Model S. I think they'll do that before the pickmeup because that will be a whole different design. However, it's likely to be five years at the soonest so get the Roadster now if you want a sports car.
dhrivnak
Active Member
I doubt it will be any time soon if ever. Sports cars are low volume as we see Tesla selling more Model S in a month than 3 years of Roadster production. I think a pickup would come far before any sports car.
So I too would look for a used Roadster.
So I too would look for a used Roadster.
Raffy.Roma
Rome (Italy)
The future Roadster (Model R) is planned to be produced by Tesla in 2017.
I seriously doubt that. Your source for what you posted is...?
I think that Tesla will produce another 2-seater sports car within 6 years just because Elon will want one.
Raffy.Roma
Rome (Italy)
Thanks for the link. That article is over a year old. Look at the dates given by Blankenship: they have all slipped by quite a bit.
I figure if you want a low volume, low demand sports car, then there's a particular driving experience you're looking for. And keyless ignition, auto presenting handles, 17" touch screen are nice secondary features, but they aren't primarily what you're looking for in a sports car
+1 well said.
One thing I like about the Roadster is its relative simplicity. A lot of car companies made their sports cars worse by trying to turn them into complex luxury cars like Porsche with the 911. Keep it light and simple.
Don't get me wrong - I look forward to the next Roadster, but not because of auto-presenting door handles and a large touch screen.
I definitely think Tesla will build another sports car. Or, more accurately, they'll try to build a proper sports car, not just a two-seater with rapid acceleration. Given the expectations for Gen 3 batteries and all the power electronics, a higher price point would give Tesla room to work on sustained high performance.
Mark77a
Member
Well this was reported in Auto Bild ( issue 29/2014), Germany... Tesla: Kleines Stadtauto bis zu 800 km Reichweite
via google translate: Google Translate
Source: Tesla Model R Roadster successor-2017 | Products Images | Pinterest
via google translate: Google Translate
Source: Tesla Model R Roadster successor-2017 | Products Images | Pinterest
ToddRLockwood
Active Member
Elon's off-the-cuff comments notwithstanding, I don't see this happening in the near future. While the Roadster did an excellent job of providing proof-of-concept of high-performance electric drive, another 2-seat sports car would not align with the company's mission at this point. Tesla wants to help convert the world to sustainable electric transportation, and that means producing cars that will be used as primary vehicles, not weekend vehicles. I believe we are much more likely to see a pickup truck than another sports car. Going after the Ferrari or Porsche market might generate some credibility in the sports car community, but I don't see much benefit beyond that. Tesla's biggest challenge at the moment is convincing the average consumer that there is no downside to driving a Tesla, that it can be used as an everyday vehicle. Performance alone won't accomplish that.
More fantasy journalism to boost website traffic...
@ToddRLockwood, I completely agree with your post. There isn't going to be a new Roadster for quite a few years.
Which should keep current Roadster resale values stable!
Wow, I couldn't disagree more with the statement that we are more likely to see a pickup than another sports car. Drivetrain, stampings and suspension work alone would suggest that it is more feasible for TESLA to build another sports car than a pickup. Do I think TESLA will build a pickup? YES. I think TESLA will eventually have a full lineup comparable to that of Ford. I do not think a pickup will come before another sports car. I also expect that sports car to be more along the lines of a super car than a sports car. I expect this sports car/super car to some out about 1-2 years after Model E.
We will be at the front of that line...
We will be at the front of that line...
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Vger
Active Member
This is one of those things that is hard to predict, in my opinion, because we are seeing the two sides of Elon's personality in conflict:
The crusading world-saver Elon knows that a pick-up is vital to achieving sustainable transportation because they are so (unreasonably) popular.
The McLaren and Porsche-owning, Hollywood hob-nobbing Elon, says, "yeah, let's do it!"
Only time will tell how that internal debate resolves itself! :wink:
James Anders
Member
A 2-door GT sports coupe based on the Model S would go a long way for the sports enthusiast. Make it look like the 2015 Aston-Martin Vanquish and it's a done deal for me.
adiggs
Well-Known Member
The way I see it, there are two kinds of sports cars that Tesla COULD build. The first is a lower end, bigger market sports car / muscle car - something sporty but affordable. Though Tesla COULD build something like that, I think that the Gen III will effectively fill that niche (or at worse, a performance version of Gen III).
I don't think that's what Elon talks or thinks about when he talks about revisiting the Roadster. I think he's thinking supercar - something outrageous, very expensive. The only mental model I have for what that could include comes from the Merc 4 motor / AWD concept car with the torque vectoring. The point being that the next gen Roadster will be much, much better than the current gen Roadster - and not just newer batteries lying flat on the bottom of the car. That will take design and engineering time to really be that far out there. And that's why I believe the Roadster Reborn is 10+ years away - Tesla just has too much other design and engineering work to do, too big of a company to grow into, to put that amount of design and engineering effort into such a low volume halo car.
Besides, every Tesla is a halo car -they hardly need to design and build one just to prove their technical chops
This difference in the range of "sports car" that Tesla COULD build might account for why some of us see the schedule for another Roadster so differently.
For the OP I reiterate the previous point - whether it's a half dozen years or a dozen, I still say that's way too long to wait for an electric sports car. You need a used Roadster now!
I would be disappointed if Tesla's next sports car is an expensive "supercar" that only the very well off could afford, and by that I mean a starting price of something over $100K. Tesla already did that with the Roadster.
I hope the next Tesla sports car starts at $40-45K and offers a 200 mile range, only 2 seats, decent trunk space, 0-60 in under 6 seconds, and great handling with coils. Manual seats. No fancy falcon wing doors or other gimmicks. That would be a really fun car that would sell like crazy. With the gigafactory and Gen III technology that should be doable and the car would be profitable. It would a be better car than a base Porsche Boxster or Cayman for much less money.
Then options could be offered to greatly increase the range, suspension capability, various goodies (high end sound, power seats, LED headlights, active aerodynamics, air suspension, etc.) and much higher motor power to get the 0-60 down to under 3.5 seconds. That could take the cost up to $100K.
In that way Tesla would have a sports car with broad appeal, with the base version making a great commuter car and a solid sports car, and the maxed out version wold be superior to the Porsche 911 and competitors.
I hope the next Tesla sports car starts at $40-45K and offers a 200 mile range, only 2 seats, decent trunk space, 0-60 in under 6 seconds, and great handling with coils. Manual seats. No fancy falcon wing doors or other gimmicks. That would be a really fun car that would sell like crazy. With the gigafactory and Gen III technology that should be doable and the car would be profitable. It would a be better car than a base Porsche Boxster or Cayman for much less money.
Then options could be offered to greatly increase the range, suspension capability, various goodies (high end sound, power seats, LED headlights, active aerodynamics, air suspension, etc.) and much higher motor power to get the 0-60 down to under 3.5 seconds. That could take the cost up to $100K.
In that way Tesla would have a sports car with broad appeal, with the base version making a great commuter car and a solid sports car, and the maxed out version wold be superior to the Porsche 911 and competitors.
But they've already done the Roadster. They'll provide power options with the Model 3, but to me a "cheap" sporty 2-seater doesn't do anything new. Each new vehicle, especially one of limited volume, should add something new. For a sports car, they're lacking the ability to throw it around a track without having to limit the power. It would also help in developing a pick-up that would need sustained power for towing.
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