According to The The Mercury News, Tesla Motors, the Silicon Valley electric-car start-up, said Monday it has begun “regular production” of its first car, the 2008 Roadster. The car is being assembled at a Lotus factory in Hethel, England. Tesla said it has taken more than 900 deposits for the $100,000, two-seat, zero-emissions Roadster.
This news appeals to members of elite car clubs and other auto enthusiasts. With zero to sixty times that rival the Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari F430, auto testers report Tesla has made the electric car an exciting prospect.
The Tesla Roadster is based on the lightweight Lotus Elise and is capable of going 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds. The Tesla website claims that the 100% electric car costs less than 2 cents per mile to drive.
“It certainly will be odd to reach the speeds that the Tesla roadster can without hearing the sweet engine note,” says DFW Elite Car Club owner Ron Sturgeon. “I am excited about what they have done and the kind of possibility thinking that is behind the Tesla,” says the Dallas-Fort Worth businessperson.
The waiting lists and the six figure price tag of cars like the Tesla is one reason that enthusiasts are turning in record numbers to exotic car sharing clubs. Membership in a Dallas car club gives me access to an unparalleled number of the latest exotic cars for a fraction of the cost of owning, says Dallas Audio Engineer Derrick Chase. It’s a great way to indulge my passion for a variety of the world’s finest automobiles.
The Tesla looks like it would be a a fun driving experience, but I’m not sure I am ready to give up the sweet sound of a well tuned V-10,” said the Dallas TX exotic car club member. Read the rest of the story on our Daily luxury car news page.
