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Home / News / Hands on – Tesla Roadster Sport

Hands on – Tesla Roadster Sport

It has 6,831 lithium ion power cells storing 56Kwh of energy, can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 3.7 seconds and has a motor that spins at up to 14,000

I took the Sport for a spin today around Seattle and the experience was nothing short of awesome. On the motorway, the power of the all-electric, whisper-quiet Sport feels virtually limitless. The accelerator pedal provides a direct line to rollercoaster-like acceleration but the Sport is never wanders out of control, sticking to rain-slick streets like glue, even around corners and over potholes.

A high-tech display unit provides instant feedback of your drive, covering speed (of course), horsepower, amps drawn from the liquid-cooled battery pack and that mind-bending acceleration. There are no gears, clutch noise or exhaust roar to distract you – just a sexy sci-fi whine that winds up as you increase the current.

But it’s on city streets that the Sport really shines. With 288 horsepower and 295lbs-ft of torque instantly available from a standing stop, the Tesla smokes away from traffic lights and zips through traffic with incredible precision. Add immensely powerful regenerative braking and it’s as though you are simply being teleported from one junction to another.

There are a few niggles, of course. The iPhone dock is a bit plasticky and, if you do have to put on the soft top, the car feels a bit claustrophobic. For an £87,000 car, the fittings also lack luxury polish.

But if it’s acceleration, handling and eco-friendliness you’re after -as well as the most happy thumbs-up from passers-by since Lady Godiva – the latest Tesla Roadster Sports isn’t just the best electric car on the market, it must be high on anyone’s shortlist for the most enjoyable vehicle ever made.

Profile image of Dan Grabham Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home

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