Concerns about size and price of new Roadster

[Vern Padgett]

Maybe wrong discussion topic, but we are in the market for the new Roadster.

Concerns: Will it be so damn big, like our Model S90Ds, that we can't park both of them in our 1960s-built garage?

Another concern: 250 mph? I need to go like 30 or 40 or 50 or maybe even 60 mph to work each morning; 3 miles.

Might I buy a Roadster that is a few thousand, or maybe many thousand, dollars cheaper, that does not go 250 miles per hour?

I want to buy this car, not to go 250 miles per hour; rather to showcase Elon's View of Sustainable Transportation.

Maybe a "MinI" Roadster for me? Only 125 mph top speed? Or 200 mph?

 

[gregd]

Maybe wrong discussion topic, but we are in the market for the new Roadster.

Concerns: Will it be so damn big, like our Model S90Ds, that we can't park both of them in our 1960s-built garage?

Another concern: 250 mph? I need to go like 30 or 40 or 50 or maybe even 60 mph to work each morning; 3 miles.

Might I buy a Roadster that is a few thousand, or maybe many thousand, dollars cheaper, that does not go 250 miles per hour?

I want to buy this car, not to go 250 miles per hour; rather to showcase Elon's View of Sustainable Transportation.

Maybe a "MinI" Roadster for me? Only 125 mph top speed? Or 200 mph?

Check in the Next Gen Roadster 2020 forum... If I recall, the new car is thought to be a bit shorter and a bit wider than the Model 3. If so, that would be a problem for me, too, as the current Roadster fits just nicely between the wife's car on one side, and the laundry, etc. on the wall to the other. I wouldn't want a car too much bigger than the Roadster I currently have.

 

[malcolm]

I want to buy this car, not to go 250 miles per hour; rather to showcase Elon's View of Sustainable Transportation.

In what way are your one-year-old S90s failing to do just that? Or is this just a love of new toys / younger models?

 

[daniel]

There are folks who want the New Roadster because it would be a better version of the existing Roadster. AWD, better handling, safer, quicker. And then there's Elon Musk, who wants to build the superest super-car there's ever been. These two concepts are mutually exclusive.

If we are lucky, there will be a Roadster II Light which will be quicker than an S-P100D but the size of the current Roadster with just two seats, a range around 300 miles, and a top speed of 125 mph. I cannot imagine a Roadster that's wider than the Model 3. I wish the 3 were a foot shorter and at least 6 inches narrower than it is.

 

[GSP]

I think the Model 3 fits the needs of people that want a “Roadster lite.” It should be a nice handling car, likely as nice as a Porsche 2+2. The 3 is also stylish, and very practical as well.

I also heve no desire for 250+ mph in a street car (or even a race car for that matter). I think the Model 3 would be a great successor to a gen 1 Roadster for people like the OP, and thinking about it makes me more excited about my reservation for the 3.

GSP

 

[ecarfan]

Might I buy a Roadster that is a few thousand, or maybe many thousand, dollars cheaper, that does not go 250 miles per hour?

I want to buy this car, not to go 250 miles per hour; rather to showcase Elon's View of Sustainable Transportation.

Maybe a "MinI" Roadster for me? Only 125 mph top speed? Or 200 mph?

Vern, I’m with you. I am hoping that at some point in the future, after the new Roadster is launched in 2020, that Tesla will come out with a much less expensive version. Although I am a current Roadster owner, I bought it used. Still expensive, but half the price of when it was new. The new $200K Roadster is out of my price range, and I certainly do not need to go over even 100mph nor do I need 1.9 sec. 0-60 times or dual rear motors or massive ceramic brakes or a 600+ mile range (300 is plenty given how many Superchargers there are). I understand why Elon wanted the new Roadster to set world records. He’s making a point, and I get it. But in the future I would like the option of moving to a more modern Roadster with DC charging but for a lot less than $200K (I don’t want a Performance Model 3, still too big for me). Tesla could clearly build such a car, and it would have a much larger potential market than the new 2020 Roadster will. Plus a lower cost Roadster won’t hurt sales of the new $200K Roadster; each car will be targeted at a different market.

 

[Vern Padgett]

In what way are your one-year-old S90s failing to do just that? Or is this just a love of new toys / younger models?

Good Point! Our S90Ds are indeed doing it. But a Roadster 2 would surely do it even better.

 

[gregd]

I also heve no desire for 250+ mph in a street car (or even a race car for that matter). I think the Model 3 would be a great successor to a gen 1 Roadster for people like the OP, and thinking about it makes me more excited about my reservation for the 3.

I think the Model 3, or better, a sporty 2-door version of it, would be a great successor to an original Roadster for someone who's just started a family and needs more than 2 seats.

Several decades and two kids ago I had a Datsun 240Z which I really liked. But when our first child was born, we could no longer take the car out as a family. That was inconvenient. When the second was born I could no longer drop them off at school on my way to work, and that was the final straw. So the Z was sold to make way for an Acura Integra GS-R, which was the only car at the time which reasonably drove like the Z, had seating for 4, and was within my budget. Tab forward 20-something years. The Integra is gone, and I have the Roadster. The circle is complete. (Fittingly, the person I bought it from had just upgraded to a Model S, due to his family needs.)

 

[Vern Padgett]

I think the Model 3, or better, a sporty 2-door version of it, would be a great successor to an original Roadster for someone who's just started a family and needs more than 2 seats. ... an Acura Integra GS-R, which was the only car at the time which reasonably drove like the Z, had seating for 4, and was within my budget. Tab forward 20-something years. The Integra is gone, and I have the Roadster. The circle is complete.

Nice.
I still have my 1987 Acura Integra LS, which I drove for 29 years, no engine work.
I haven't driven it since I bought the S90Ds.
I'll probably sell it for $25 and free towing, although I'm sure it is worth a lot more.

 

[gregd]

Nice.
I still have my 1987 Acura Integra LS, which I drove for 29 years, no engine work.
I haven't driven it since I bought the S90Ds.
I'll probably sell it for $25 and free towing, although I'm sure it is worth a lot more.

So it's been a few years since I sold the Integra, but at the time I heard that the make was highly sought after in some areas (San Diego was mentioned), often going for above Blue Book. Kids like to soup them up, apparently. Mine was a '94 GS-R, and I think got $4k for it sold privately. Our long-term mechanic made the connection with the ultimate buyer, another of their customers. You might be surprised to see what yours might be worth.

 

[daniel]

I think the Model 3 fits the needs of people that want a “Roadster lite.” It should be a nice handling car, likely as nice as a Porsche 2+2. The 3 is also stylish, and very practical as well.

I also heve no desire for 250+ mph in a street car (or even a race car for that matter). I think the Model 3 would be a great successor to a gen 1 Roadster for people like the OP, and thinking about it makes me more excited about my reservation for the 3.

GSP

No way is the Model 3 a "Roadster light." The Model 3 is a family sedan with very nice handling and decent acceleration. It is not a sports car. The original Roadster is a beautiful, exciting car. I will (probably) be switching from my Roadster to the 3 for the added safety. But it will be a big step down in excitement and pure driving fun.

 

[ecarfan]

I will (probably) be switching from my Roadster to the 3 for the added safety. But it will be a big step down in excitement and pure driving fun.

Ouch. As cool as the Model 3 is, I don’t think I could do that. But I understand your reasoning.

I’m hoping that 5 to 10 years from now I can buy a used 2020 Roadster for a price I can afford, or, that Tesla offers a much lower cost version of the new Roadster a few years after the 2020 Roadster goes on sale.

 

[daniel]

... I will (probably) be switching from my Roadster to the 3 for the added safety. But it will be a big step down in excitement and pure driving fun.

Ouch. As cool as the Model 3 is, I don’t think I could do that. But I understand your reasoning.

I've had tremendous fun driving the Roadster. But the older I get (I'll be 70 in half a year) the more I think I need a safer, more sensible car. And if I really find the lack of acceleration too disappointing (the 3 is no slouch in that regard, it just doesn't touch the Roadster) then I am hopeful that in a year the P-AWD 3 will have at least the same acceleration as my Roadster, and I can trade up.

 

[Britannia]

Maybe wrong discussion topic, but we are in the market for the new Roadster.

Concerns: Will it be so damn big, like our Model S90Ds, that we can't park both of them in our 1960s-built garage?

Another concern: 250 mph? I need to go like 30 or 40 or 50 or maybe even 60 mph to work each morning; 3 miles.

Might I buy a Roadster that is a few thousand, or maybe many thousand, dollars cheaper, that does not go 250 miles per hour?

I want to buy this car, not to go 250 miles per hour; rather to showcase Elon's View of Sustainable Transportation.

Maybe a "MinI" Roadster for me? Only 125 mph top speed? Or 200 mph?

Look into auto clubs that have garages with space to rent. Maybe consider adding a garage to increase the value of your home. Employee college students to stand over it with umbrellas at night... I don't know. I'm just saying where there is a will, there is a way. All of these are more probable then a smaller/less fast roadster. My suggest for that problem is not to push the accelerator all of the way down. I will be driving this car to show case it's achievements. Hopefully, I can do something charitable with it, and maybe drive it to every errand I can while the weather is nice. It's your money/car. Enjoy the hell out of it- your way.

 

[gregd]

I will be driving this car to show case it's achievements. Hopefully, I can do something charitable with it, and maybe drive it to every errand I can while the weather is nice.

This is exactly what I do with my Roadster (in addition to having the pure fun of driving the car). The organizer of some of the local EV events loves to put my car out in front, to help draw people in. There's always a crowd around it. I also get a steady stream of recognition while just driving it around - everything from smiles and thumbs-ups to not-so-stealthy cell phone pictures - which is a clear indication that the car and brand are having a positive impact. I expect the new car to be even more so.

 

[Britannia]

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This is exactly what I do with my Roadster (in addition to having the pure fun of driving the car). The organizer of some of the local EV events loves to put my car out in front, to help draw people in. There's always a crowd around it. I also get a steady stream of recognition while just driving it around - everything from smiles and thumbs-ups to not-so-stealthy cell phone pictures - which is a clear indication that the car and brand are having a positive impact. I expect the new car to be even more so.

That's awesome. I do a lot with the Tesla club myself. We've done ride along protests in states that ban Tesla, state fairs, and other Ev events. My X is unique, as can see from my avatar so it's good at sucking people in. Everyone around here knows the girl in the crazy X. I that I can do more fund raising events with my roadster and see positive reactions in the street, but I would be lying it I didn't say I'm apprehensive to the remarks I'm likely to get. That's probably the only downside I see. Still worth it.

 

[bonnie]

I've had tremendous fun driving the Roadster. But the older I get (I'll be 70 in half a year) the more I think I need a safer, more sensible car. And if I really find the lack of acceleration too disappointing (the 3 is no slouch in that regard, it just doesn't touch the Roadster) then I am hopeful that in a year the P-AWD 3 will have at least the same acceleration as my Roadster, and I can trade up.

Why not look at an S P100D? You'll have AWD | supercharging | acceleration | safety all in one. What you won't have with the S, X, or Model 3 is that feeling of connection to the road that the Roadster gives. That's unique. But you're giving that up anyway, going to a 3.

 

[Merrill]

I’m old too but would love to try to squeeze myself into a new roadster, unfortunately it is way above my price point.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Why not look at an S P100D? You'll have AWD | supercharging | acceleration | safety all in one. What you won't have with the S, X, or Model 3 is that feeling of connection to the road that the Roadster gives. That's unique. But you're giving that up anyway, going to a 3.

As he's written before, he likes smaller cars. Even Model 3 is 1 size too big for him.

 

[daniel]

Why not look at an S P100D? You'll have AWD | supercharging | acceleration | safety all in one. What you won't have with the S, X, or Model 3 is that feeling of connection to the road that the Roadster gives. That's unique. But you're giving that up anyway, going to a 3.

As he's written before, he likes smaller cars. Even Model 3 is 1 size too big for him.

Yep. I did seriously consider a Model S. I test-drove a P85D Model S when that was the latest and best version. Wonderful car, great handling, but about twice the size I really want, and much too big for my comfort. I live alone and since I got the Roadster, almost 6 1/2 years ago, there's only been one time when I had to use the Prius for lack of enough seats: Two friends visited and we couldn't all go in the Roadster together. (The Prius also gets used for my annual road trip --secondary roads, no superchargers-- and for hauling recycling, for parking at the airport, and for hauling tires to and from the tire store for the Roadster's seasonal tire switch.)

I'd have gotten a Model S when it first came out if it hadn't been such a monstrously huge thing. Or I'd have gotten it if I had a family. The little Zap Xebra was actually the perfect size for me. I'm getting the Model 3 only because I do want the safety features. But it's much bigger than I want. Especially, it's too wide. The wider the car, the less space you have in the lanes. The Roadster is wonderful that way.