Tesla may finally be cranking out Roadsters in earnest--despite a few recalls here and there. Even so, chief executive Elon Musk is already planning the company's next sports car, which will likely debut after the highly anticipated, lower-cost Model S sedan appears in late 2011.
According to WebRidesTV, Musk has a little more practicality in mind this time around."The next Roadster (like all future Teslas) will ride on a variation of the Model S platform," the report said. "In fact, it may not be a Roadster (i.e. convertible) at all. Turns out Musk's daily driver (aside from his Tesla) is a Porsche Turbo. He loves the fact that even with all that German performance he can chuck his small kids in back."
Musk said in the interview that the next Tesla sports car would therefore be a "roomier Porsche," which is otherwise known as a 2+2. The car will also have 50 percent more trunk space and--get this--all wheel drive. That last little feature would be doubly impressive, given how much it saps the fuel economy of today's cars due to the increased weight (often over 200 pounds), complexity, and driveline drag.
In fact, Musk is envisioning a full range of sports cars, from a base model to a GT version. Our money is on 2013 for the next car, allowing for some wiggle room and teething problems with the 2012 Tesla Model S.
source: pcmag
