tonybelding

It's either the Magnetic Blue car with really poor lighting, or it's what Lotus refer to as "Midnight Blue" which is a super-dark metallic blue.

Yes, the Elise is available in three different shades of metallic blue: Midnight Blue, Magnetic Blue, and Laser Blue. Tesla's Electric Blue is apparently the same as Lotus's Laser Blue, based on the photos of VP 9.

CORRECTION: The darkest blue that Lotus offer is Nightfall Blue, not Midnight Blue. I had simply mis-remembered it.

CORRECTION 2: I forgot about Polar Blue. The Elise is actually offered in *four* different blues.

doug

Awesome thread! So has Tesla ever told us whether or not their colors are just renamed Elise colors? Or are they actually reformulated a bit? Seems to me that most manufacturers like to make the point (pretend?) that their colors are unique. Personally, I'm happy if they're really just Elise colors since coming up with original colors seems like a wasted expense and the existing Elise colors are great.

tonybelding

There's never been any official word on this subject, but the resemblance of the colors is way too close to be accidental. And if you think about it, they are being made on the same assembly line, so there is cost saving from using the same paints.

Here's are the matches I've made, Lotus names on the left, Tesla names on the right. . .

standard / solid colors:

• Ardent Red = Fusion Red
• British Racing Green = Racing Green

metallic colors:

• Arctic Silver = Sterling Silver
• Storm Titanium = Thunder Gray
• Starlight Black = Obsidian Black
• Aubergine Purple = not offered
• Nightfall Blue = not offered
• Magnetic Blue = not offered
• Polar Blue = Glacier Blue
• Racing Green = Signature Green
• Canyon Red = Radiant Red
• Solar Yellow = Brilliant Yellow

lifestyle / premium colors:

• Aspen White = Arctic White
• Chilli Red = not offered
• Chrome Orange = Very Orange
• Krypton Green = not offered
• Laser Blue = Electric Blue
• Autumn Gold = not offered
• Phantom Black = Jet Black
• Graphite = not offered

After looking at the Lotus color chart and the Tesla color chart side-by-side, I realized I had been wrong about a few things before. I thought Lotus's "Racing Green" had been discontinued, but it's not. I'm not completely sure of the difference between "Canyon Red" and "Chilli Red", but I still think it's a good bet that Radiant Red = Canyon Red. I didn't think Lotus even offered a solid black, but now I'm thinking Phantom Black must be it (and am still left wondering what makes it a premium or "lifestyle" color).

After comparing them, the correlation between Elise colors and Roadster colors is even closer than I realized before. It really is way too close to be coincidence.

TEG

That is confusing... Tesla "Racing Green" != Lotus "Racing Green"
Someone could see a Lotus with Racing Green paint, ask for it on the Tesla and end up with "British Racing Green" instead.

That is unfortunate. I really like Graphite, and it appears that "Thunder Gray" is a much lighter shade.

Exige in Graphite:

Wicked...

doug

Though I didn't spell it out, this was exactly my point. It's a bit of a shame they don't go ahead and just offer all the Lotus colors. Then again, that may prove difficult in the future. Since I think the plan is to eventually move assembly of the Roadster to the US.

tonybelding

Where did you get that from?

From past statements, Tesla's plan is to keep Roadster production in England for the life span of that program. Unless something goes badly wrong over at Lotus (such as bankruptcy, or purchase by a corporate parent hostile to Tesla), they want to continue with Lotus assembling them at least until the Roadster 2 is called for, which could be many years down the road.

tonybelding

Oh, and with regard to offering all the Lotus colors. . . Some of those colors have proven wildly unpopular. You will have to search far and wide to find an Elise in Aubergine Purple, Aztec Bronze, Krypton Green or Nightfall Blue. For about the first year after the Elise was brought over to the USA, Aztec Bronze was infamous as the color that nobody had ever seen because nobody ordered a car in that color. Aubergine Purple and Krypton Green cars often appeared in magazine test drives, because Lotus had a few made in that color but couldn't find buyers for them. It takes a special person to appreciate those very offbeat, very unfashionable colors. I think Aubergine Purple looks great in the sunlight, and I know of one Krypton Green owner who is crazy about his car -- but they definitely are hues most people would not regard as normal for a car.

The one omission from Tesla's palette that puzzles me is Magnetic Blue, because I thought it was popular on the Elise, and it's a very attractive color -- and not freaky-looking at all. But I guess they figured with Laser/Electric Blue and Polar/Glacier Blue they had the blue side of things covered well enough?

doug

Your talking about the "Since I think the plan is to eventually move assembly of the Roadster to the US."? I thought I had read in one of the early articles about looking for a place for the White Star plant that the Roadster would also eventually also be built at that plant. Of course that is far off and likely to be a later version of the Roadster. Then again, it could have just been a reporter getting things mixed up.

TEG

What about Graphite?

Notice here that gray is the 2nd most popular sports car color right now. Thunder gray is closer to silver...

tonybelding

I can't see too much difference, Thunder Gray looks pretty dark to me. The main difference is that Graphite would be smoother and glossier, and more expensive.