by D A Lavizzo

Created on: December 29, 2006   Last Updated: April 23, 2007

Ladies and gentlemen, the future has arrived, and it's sitting in your driveway. That is, if you have a spare $92,000 to spend on it.

Developed, oddly, by the co-creator of PayPal, the Tesla Roadster is on track to be produced sometime in 2007. Let me tell you, if looks could kill, this thing would be Jack the Ripper. Sleek, sexy, and exotic, the Tesla Roadster is everything today's driver could want from a top-end American-designed exotic speedster. Coupled with a 0-60 time of just about 4 seconds, according the company website, the Tesla Roadster easily sold out of it's 222 car run within four months of it's announcement.

With gas prices so high in California, though, what's making everyone so hot to snap up this gas guzzling speed-demon? Well, you see, that's just the thing - it doesn't use gas. Not a drop. The entire car, from tip to finish, runs on batteries. Granted, they are highly developed, space-age engineered batteries brought to you by the same people that designed SpaceX's passenger rocketships, but the bottom line is they are batteries nonetheless.

The Tesla Roadster, based on EPA conversion rates, garners a whopping 135 mpg equivalent. Per charge, that breaks down to about 250 miles per tank - better than even the best hybrids can crank out, and all from a source much cheaper than buying gas.

Inside, the Tesla doesn't skimp on the space-age tech. Optional touch screen navigation, a seven speaker custom tuned sound system, and a portable charging station all round out the futuristic package.

The car looks great, and from the current buzz it looks as though the Tesla is jus the icebreaker, a top end model for Tesla Motors to recoup losses on. A pair of more family friendly models is slated to be released at some point in the future. With co-creator Elon Musk's financial backing and a prototype model already making the media rounds, I would wager a dollar and a half that the rumours pan out to be true. Based on the strength of Tesla's pre-purchases - all 222 units sold at the premium $100,000 price tag, rather than the estimated $82,000 - I would wager this type of car is just what America has been waiting for.

Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here, indeed. The future just tends to take it's time getting affordable.

www.teslamotors.com

Estimated MPG (converted) - 135 mpg / 250 mpt

Base Price Range - 92,000 - 150,000+ (pre-orders start at 30,000)

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