Like many on this forum, I like sports cars! If Tesla won't deliver the car I want then I'll have to look elsewhere (or have one built) :smile: I'd considered it a success if Top Gear hated the 'enhanced' Roadster... sooner or later they will be forced to recognise that electric has arrived... I see that at every car show I attend... energy cost and 0-60 times resonate strongly with 'mainstream' car buyers here.
Disagree and agree. Top Gear loved on the Roadster for first 1/2 of the segment and hated on it for the second half. In conversion about the Roadster, 90% of people who bring up that show with me say the car fared poorly. I would not imagine much different conclusion and result next time. %100 percent agree (I'm sure all here do). I just think it's just gonna be 12 EVs and/or 5 supercar EV's to get them to slowly begrudge that EVs have arrived. EVs are TG classic whipping boys and if the original Roadster did not change them it will take a few more stellar cars for proof-of-(EV)-concept.
KS - you've used the "mainstream" word several times to describe what Roadster buyers want in your neck of the woods. What is mainstream about buying a sports car? It's a tiny part of the car market everywhere and I'd venture to guess that there's nothing mainstream about owning a $100K, two seater. Because it's an interest of yours and your crowd doesn't make it mainstream. I really enjoy toodling around in my Roadster, but I consider that a pretty limited application for a car for most folks.
rsquared99: Owning a $100K, two seat sports car is becoming more mainstream than it used to be - see Corvette Z06 Carbon and ZR1. But to your point, EV's will become mainstream (regardless of whether they are sports cars or sedans) when there is a charging infrastructure that allows one to drive wherever they want, how ever long they want, charge up in a reasonable amount of time and are competitively priced compared to ICE cars - taking into account cost/mile. I also agree with you that for most mainstream consumers, the Roadster is a limited application. But what percentage of 2 seat sport car owners only own one car? Hopefully, Tesla will be able to market a more affordable EV family sedan with the Model S range in the very near future - that will then become mainstream with the proper charging infrastructure..