Tesla's big surprise the company promised for this week's 2018 Grand Basel show in Switzerland has turned out to be a mockup of the second-generation Roadster, this one finished in white.
It was hoped we might see a production-ready example of the new Roadster, which Tesla has promised for delivery in 2020, but the version we received at Grand Basel on Tuesday was only a design buck. It didn't even have an interior.
It's the same mockup Tesla featured at a shareholder meeting held earlier in the year.
Tesla showed a working example of the new Roadster at the car's debut in California last November. Jay Leno also recently went for a ride in one with Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen behind the wheel.
At its reveal, Tesla said the new Roadster would pack a massive 200-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery capable of delivering 620 miles of range. The battery will feed three electric motors—one at the front and two at the rear—and deliver enough juice to see the car sprint to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds and go all the way to a top speed of over 250 mph. Incredibly, this isn't even the fastest version Tesla has planned.
Tesla has already priced the Roadster, which starts at $200,000. Though the first 1,000 examples will be a special Founder Series which starts at $250,000. Tesla is accepting reservations which requires a $50,000 deposit with $5,000 due upon signing and the remaining $45,000 wire transferred within 10 days. Note, one of the Founder Series cars requires the full $250,000 up front.
Grand Basel opens its doors to the public on September 6. It's not your typical car show since the focus is on presenting cars in the context of art and architecture. The Tesla is in good company among a host of other past, present, and concept cars that includes Gio Ponti's Linea Diamante, which has finally been realized after 65 years, as well as the Lancia Delta Futurista restomod project. For more coverage, head to our dedicated hub.
