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Not really I guess... I hear the Tesla people refer to them externally as "marketing cars." They get the VINs of VPs so as not to screw up the VIN sequence of cars intended for sale, but they aren't really prototypes any more. However, some VPs can get retasked as engineering cars to try out drivetrain components or different interior elements. I hear one of the current VPs will be modified to show off the 2009 interior.
Marketing cars is the correct collective term, but the individual specimens are still referred to as VPxx in my experience.
VP28
Very Orange, powder coat black wheels, sport tires.
premium two-tone, rally 1, black/orange, orange head restraint
Very Orange, powder coat black wheels, sport tires.
premium two-tone, rally 1, black/orange, orange head restraint
Doug, are those aftermarket black wheels? Or are those the same that Tesla will be providing?
They took the normal wheels and had them powder coated. I was told the Tesla wheels will be different but similar.
VP31 - Electric Blue, microfibre.
VP31 - Electric Blue, microfibre: Now assigned to the Seattle area sales rep. It is based up here as a marketing car. I took it for a drive today to get my monthly Tesla Roadster fix.
Alpine Driver
Member
VP29 at OEAMTC EVN Cup Wachauring Austria
OEAMTC EVN CUP 2009 / Wachauring Austria - a set on Flickr
OEAMTC EVN CUP 2009 / Wachauring Austria - a set on Flickr
Alpine Driver
Member
I dont know about it, also asked Craig, but he also didnt know.
He just thought it might be "more easy to hide or demonstrate" something in a Mini (put out the back seats, add some battery there) than in an other car.
The controllers under the hood looked "cool", but from the data of the car itself it was not that blast.
Anyway, as long as we dont know some price point, we cant judge on the technics. But I think it is more a demonstration mule for power / drivetrain parts magna is developing in this area for OEM use by other manufacturers.
He just thought it might be "more easy to hide or demonstrate" something in a Mini (put out the back seats, add some battery there) than in an other car.
The controllers under the hood looked "cool", but from the data of the car itself it was not that blast.
Anyway, as long as we dont know some price point, we cant judge on the technics. But I think it is more a demonstration mule for power / drivetrain parts magna is developing in this area for OEM use by other manufacturers.
Guess we missed each other.
Was good to get my hands on the Roadster again - and lots of fun to drive it around the track a few times.
I drove VP30 last week. Photos made by a friend of mine at Autozine.nl. (Review only in Dutch - translation will follow)
It is claimed that VP18 has a 240 kW motor which is more powerful that the standard and sport motors, could this be true?
If this is the case, could the new 3.0 battery upgrade be able to take advantage of this?
In case of an update to the VP listing, I can confirm that VP18 is converted to Brabus.
VP18: Radiant Red; microfiber -- rumored to have been converted to the Brabus Roadster.
If this is the case, could the new 3.0 battery upgrade be able to take advantage of this?
In case of an update to the VP listing, I can confirm that VP18 is converted to Brabus.
VP18: Radiant Red; microfiber -- rumored to have been converted to the Brabus Roadster.
Interesting...
It felt like VP31 was quicker than it should have been as well.
I heard rumors that some Roadsters are known as "mutants" because they make more power than advertised.
This:
Roadster Features and Specifications | Tesla Motors
Says "...Up to 295 lbs-ft of torque and 300 horsepower are produced..."
240kW would be like 321hp...
For some reason, this:
Tesla Roadster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
says "2.5 Sport : 288 hp (215 kW)"
The max HP numbers seem to vary from place to place... 288hp? 290hp? 300hp? 321hp?
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