Tesla is going back to its roots with a new Roadster, a long-awaited replacement for the compact electric sports car that propelled the firm into the limelight in 2008.
Small, cramped and expensive but quick off the mark and boasting a 200-mile range, the first Tesla Roadster demonstrated that electric cars could be both exciting and potentially profitable products.
The old Roadster ceased production when the Model S arrived in 2012, and Tesla hasn’t got any better at naming cars since its demise. Like the original Lotus-based two-seater, the new Roadster isn’t really a roadster at all but a targa, with a small removable roof panel rather than the full folding top required to properly claim the name. The lift-out panel in the new Roadster is made of glass, apparently.