The specs on the new version of the Tesla Roadster were hard to believe when the car was debuted – 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds and 620-miles of range? Wow. And if that weren’t enough, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk later announced that a “SpaceX package” is planned, which would add cold air thrusters to... READ FULL ARTICLE
A rocket that delivers thrust without combustion, fed by a compressed air tank. Probably the only more or less safe way to make a car faster when it's already sitting on the friction limit on all four tires...
But he said the thrusters are behind the license plate, which suggests that they're pointing to the sides for lateral control rather than pointing backwards for forward acceleration. Still sounds like a joke to me. The volume and velocity of the air needed make an actual difference would probably be a road hazard. These are used in space where there's zero resistance to acceleration, and they cause very minor adjustments. I'm going on record as believing this is a joke.
It's no joke. You just don't use it on normal roads regardless of how it will or will not affect other people or cars. When was the last time you have the need to accelerate faster than 1.9 sec or go more than 250 mph? Like purpose of all supercars this is just for setting records on test tracks and give owners bragging rights.
It'd be great for passing on narrow, winding roads. You'd need about 50 feet to get around somebody. As for needing, I never needed anything quicker than my 1989 Honda Civic. But I loved driving my Roadster, and even my plain RWD Model 3 jumps off the line faster than any car it's ever been next to at a stoplight. I will not be buying the New Roadster. When it comes right down to it, I like EAP a lot more than big torque. Probably ten years ago I met a guy who had bought a BMW and then had an after-market engine put in it at enormous cost and bragged about how quick it was. Three or four years later Tesla was building cars that would make that BMW look like it was standing still. And even the Roadster I bought a few years later would have beaten his BMW off the line. As for 250 mph, I think few of us could drive anything that fast without crashing. I'd be scared to drive 90 mph.
I don't think these specs are for practical heavy traffic city driving but they are great in dry lake beds as shown below:
I guess that's what Elon is. He could never settle for only one priority. That would be too boring for him.
Wait a sec. Will this Roadster have the f*art option? I suspect when you tap the whoopie cushion icon, suddenly you get the sound and the thrust. Sounds reasonable to me.
Think about the size and weight for a big tank for compressed air or whatever, not to mention the pump to fill it. I agree. Seems like a joke to me.