VIDEO: Jezza and the Stig take on the Tesla Roadster, for 55 miles!

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Dec 15, 2008 | 06:30 PM

Thread Starter

Teamspeed Pro

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From: Zoo York

VIDEO: Jezza and the Stig take on the Tesla Roadster, for 55 miles!

Jeremy Clarkson finally got his chance to thrash a Tesla Roadster on the Top Gear test track during the most recent episode and things definitely went better than his time with the G-Wiz. Clarkson pitted the Tesla against its chassis progenitor, the Lotus Elise and the results were... mixed. The Roadster, with the new drivetrain 1.5 featuring the final version of the single speed gearbox and torquier motor, ran away from the Elise in a drag race. However, when it came to going around corners, the extra 1,000 lbs of lithium ion batteries didn't help. As good as the Tesla handles, weight is always the enemy and the Lotus easily beat the Roadster around the corners. On the straights though, the electric torque won the day, for a while anyway.

YouTube - Tesla Roadster Reviewed and Put on Topgear Track

Dec 15, 2008 | 06:34 PM

strebo

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Joined: Apr 2008

Posts: 10,272

From: Sweden

Ninjavideo.net - Top Gear 12x07 (Flash)

For the whole Top gear episode.

Dec 16, 2008 | 12:32 AM

Alzilla

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Joined: Apr 2008

Posts: 31,976

From: Minnesota

I was thoroughly impressed with how well the Tesla did around the Top Gear track. Hard to believe it beat the 911 GT3! They didn't show where it finished in relation to the Elise/Exige but I'd be curious to find out. Anybody know what the Elise did around the track?