The final price, after the tax credit, is a relatively low $67,800 (relative to the 110K starting price). This coincides with the VIP opening of a Tesla dealership in Boulder — and by VIP we mean Elon Musk's brother. Get them while they're hot. (Hat tip to goatrope!)

[Fox News]

The anonymous exploiter of lost tourists and underpaid immigrants alike apparently owns a fleet mostly made up of Escape Hybrids, so in his mind we're sure the connection between not-terribly economical taxis and an electric supercar painted to look like a cab makes total sense.

Missing the Humor, Le Blog Auto points out the electric-two seater wouldn't make a very practical taxi, largely due to the inability of magnetic signs to stick to the carbon bodywork. We'd add that the lack of trunk space and long recharge time should also be considered before any enterprising individuals attempt to make a business out of this. Also, there's the whole "no back seat" thing. [Le Blog Auto via Green Car Reports]

Because, as your Crazy Euro Car-Photographer Boy can tell you, motor shows drain your batteries in menacing ways.

What's pretty amazing is the Tesla is such a weighty car for the size. The Tesla weighs in at 2500 lbs — that's 500 lbs more than even a Lotus Exige S 240. That china's pretty strong if you ask us. [via Strada]

Chrysler's been adamant that the Circuit EV program wasn't killed back in May and Car and Driver has now uncovered a few more details of the program. They sat down with Chrysler ENVI president Lou Rhodes to discuss various details of the ENVI program is progressing.

In a similar move to Tesla, and one that makes perfect sense; Lotus will produce the Circuit EV in the UK and then ship it to the U.S. for installation of Chrysler's electric powertrain. That powertrain has yet to reach a final build spec as they are undergoing constant modifications including a recent advancement that has cut the 0-60 mph time by nearly half a second.

Chrysler has stated a sales target of 100,000 for their full range of ENVI vehicles, enough to make a decent return on all the costly technology in place. With those numbers, Chrysler could potentially undercut the theoretically similar Tesla Roadster by "tens of thousands" of dollars.

We've been slightly suspicious of the Circuit EV ever since its initial debut, but if Chrysler can pull it off along with the rest of the ENVI program then color us impressed. [Car and Driver via All Cars Electric via Autoblog]

I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes behind the wheel as only the second journalist to get a chance driving the new Tesla Roadster Sport. The first was Dan Rather, which explains the smell of liniment, the REM on the radio and the Afghan robes in the trunk. But I digress. Let's talk about what makes this car merit the $28,000 premium over the original Tesla Roadster, which only manages 0-to-60 in 3.9 seconds.

For starters, there's some new under-the-trunk bits n' pieces that help boost power slightly. Specifically, there's a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque, lending it stronger acceleration.

Frankly, the GT-R can take its launch control and shove it. Because now that I've driven this I can say there isn't a better Game Boy out there than the Roadster Sport. Thanks to it being all-electric, all the torque's available the moment you drop the parking brake and press the button for drive (more on that shortly). So you're able to hit 60 MPH in a 3-point-something-second blink of an eye. Every time. And no you won't even void your warranty doing it.

But, like many American cars, it seems to drive at its best in a straight line. I found cornering to be tricky, with the cumbersome weight of the battery pack behind the seats doing confidence and communication no great shakes. But until I get a chance to play with it at some higher speeds than I was able to achieve on crowded New York City streets, I can't say for certain how it'll perform. Late last year I had the chance to drive the Lotus Exige S 240 (same chassis as the Tesla) on these same roads and it felt much more sprightly around the turns.

The ride was more comfortable than what we would have expected, taking many of the bumps and holes of the road with relative ease, yet the suspension still felt taught enough to take someplace a bit more befitting of a 3.7-second 0-to-60 time. Credit some of that to the increased mass of the batteries helping the unsprung to sprung weight ratio.

On the inside Tesla has finally made an effort to move away from the standard Lotus interior. Unfortunately, the cockpit's still not big enough for my 6'3" frame. I found myself wedged into uncomfortable position just to be able to see out the windshield. But that's the same problem I've had in every Lotus I've ever driven. The upgrades include a lockable glove compartment, new placement of the LCD info screen and an upgraded HVAC system. Additionally, the new model takes advantage of the single-stage transmission, doing away with the silly pretense of a stick shifter and replacing it with a button system for park, drive and reverse. It worked quite nicely on my short drive.

On the exterior, Tesla's found a way to drop enough carbon fiber up top to keep the weight of this porky pig down to a manageable 2,700 lb — the same as the regular Tesla Roadster and only 700 Lbs more than the Lotus Elise. But anyway, who cares what it looks like. Only one thing matters with this car – accelerating to 60 MPH in just 3.7 seconds in eerie silence. Oh, that and the $128,500 price tag.

We've said if you want an electric sports car but the Tesla Roadster isn't as fast or expensive as it could be, the Tesla Roadster Sport's for you. Here's the first live shots of what an extra $20K gets you.

Tesla promises their Roadster Sport will achieve a 0-to-60 time of 3.7 seconds, quicker than the 3.9 seconds the standard Roadster achieves. Power is boosted slightly thanks to a hand-wound stator and increased winding density, which we're guessing is the electric version of adding new headers and a freer-flowing exhaust.

Additionally, the Tesla is going to come with a set of ultra high performance tires sure to last a full three charges. Helping to keep the battery-laden Roadster Sport pointed in the right direction will be a revised suspension "tuned to the driver's preference" with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars.

These renderings show most of the exterior changes will likely be minor, including "blacked-out" hood vents and black wheels. Subtle tweaks are probably best given the Tesla already looks like electric sex.

According to Tesla, this latest-and-greatest Roadster Sport will start arriving in June for $128,500.

We'll have more details from the event shortly including the first images of the 2010 Tesla Roadster.

Yes, for a cool quarter-million bucks you can join 4M Club's (it stands for "Multi Million Match Making") "Rolls Royce Plan," which nonsensically offers a Tesla Roadster to go along with your discreet and single lady. As long as you pay company President Chris Stelmack more than twice list price for a Tesla roadster, she'll happily scour the planet for your soul mate, you even get to keep the car! We know a certain bachelor CEO with an extra $465 million in his pocket who's perfect for this opportunity.

[4M Club via TCC]

Along with airing pretty much all of Eberhard's dirty laundry, refuting from his perception, all of the claims in the lawsuit, Musk also makes Eberhard look like something of an incompetent nincompoop. There are some real stingers buried in the enormous writing, complete with emails copied in to back up Musk's story, some of our favorites include:

There were several smaller items I suggested, such as the touchpad door latch that Eberhard tries to use as an excuse for why it cost over $140M to bring the Roadster to market instead of the $25M that he estimated in the 2004 business plan. That would have to be one hell of door latch! The $140M excludes any costs associated with the Model S."

and this not-so-subtle slap:

"All he had was a business plan to commercialize the AC Propulsion Tzero electric sports car concept. Three years later, when Eberhard was asked to leave Tesla, most of the work that he had been paid to do had to be redone."

Ouch.

In any case, Musk goes on to say over the last few years of work, the total bill of materials price which was pegged around $140k when Eberhard was running the show has been reduced to around $80k. Along with improvements to the supply chain, the optional Tesla Roadster Sport and a run rate around 20-30 cars a week, Musk is expecting to see the company turn the corner and see profitability next month.

It's a bit of a long read, but if you want a look at all of Tesla's dirty laundry being aired in pretty much one place and understand a lot of the history behind the car and its delays, it's well worth the time. [Tesla]

So it's nice that Musk has such lofty goals. Frankly, it's always been his forte. He leaves the "how to get there" to other, more little people. Like with an idea to build 100,000 cars per year by buying an idled assembly plant from a U.S. automaker. He'll leave the whole "design a mid-size sedan for it to build" to other people. Musk's an "idea man," ya know. And for an "idea man" the reality of building 100,000 mid-size sedans is kind of like trying to build a "kabillion" mid-size sedans — they're both impossible numbers when you don't even have a working design.

He also thinks gas should cost $10 a gallon. Hmm, we wonder why. Keep in mind it's not that we disagree with Musk, we just happen to believe it's also probably the price-point in which a $100,000 Tesla roadster becomes a good investment versus a sports car with similar performance. [CNet, Twitter]

The yet-to-be-fully-unveiled Model S, with its all-electric powertrain, will surely garner more green-cred than the Karma (especially since Fisker is using a dirty old GM four cylinder) and a price tag of $87,900. Never mind the Karma has an unlimited range — the Model S is all-electric and cheaper!

The original projected price for the Model S was $60,000 but, after the Federal tax credit of $7,500, the four door Model S will cost buyers a mere $49,900. This news will undoubtedly charge the batteries of any would-be buyers, though we suggest they lock in their orders early . [Tesla via Carscoop]

The store will be located in the chichi River West neighborhood in an attempt to reach wealthy cattlemen (yeah, I've only been to Chicago once) commuting in from the even fancier suburbs. No word on the size of the bribe Tesla had to pay the local government to get a building permit.

Adding to existing locations in Menlo Park and Los Angeles, the electric car company is planning to open stores in London, Munich, Manhattan, Seattle, Miami and Washington DC.

We couldn't pick 9 more congested cities if we tried (ok, well Tokyo, but you get our point) so at least this one Jalop fails to understand the point of electric cars. Sure, they'll pollute less while you're sitting still in traffic, but going to whole hog and purchasing an electric motorcycle like the Quantya Strada or getting in good enough shape to ride a bicycle would reduce your impact on the environment to a greater degree and massively reduce your travel times. The Tesla Roadster retails for $109,000. [source: Tesla]

According to Lotus Enthusiast:

Two separate groups, one in Dubai and one in Qatar, are each in serious talks with Tesla Motors as they compete to establish the world's first electric sports car championship racing series featuring Tesla Roadsters. Time will tell if either group succeeds in the face of the worldwide economic recession and Tesla Motors' ongoing financial difficulties. What is not in question however is the Roadster's performance – with a 0-60 MPH acceleration time of less than four seconds, the Roadster should prove fast enough to enthrall race fans.

While Tesla Roadsters are not currently sold in the Middle East, European Tesla sales and marketing director Simon Rochefort has indicated that a Middle East Tesla distribution network is in development and should be finalized within the next few years. Rochefort went on to mention that some individuals in the Middle East had already purchased Tesla Roadsters in the United States and imported them on their own.

A group in Dubai is also looking to bundle Tesla Roadsters with homes on a new energy-independent island in the Persian Gulf. In addition, the group is interested in creating a rental fleet of Tesla Roadsters and a taxi fleet made up of Tesla's upcoming Model S sedans."

Well, at least it's a reason for Tesla to be making those Tesla Roadster Sport models. [Lotus Enthusiast via World Car Fans]

Tesla's early adopters essentially invested their deposits into the company. For it, they were promised a car with a base price of just $92,000 for 2008 model year vehicles, a $17,000 value over the now-higher-in-price 2009 model. The approximately 600 people who ordered cars were asked to "lock in" their options by last November. Tesla has now "unlocked" those prices, upping the cost and forcing customers to re-select their options, or they'll lose their spot to buy one. By how much has Tesla bumped up the price?

According to Tom Saxton, a Tesla enthusiast, formerly "included" options like the SolarPlus Windshield, High Power Connecter and Forged Alloy Tesla Wheels now will cost you $6,700 combined. Other options have seen prices double, or more, from the original cost. This means the cost for a fully-loaded Tesla Roadster has increased by $9,350 for people who already ordered their cars. While it's possible to get a Tesla for the $92,000 originally agreed to, you'd have to go without some important features.

The reason? A Tesla spokesperson told us the idea was to make the car's margins healthy enough to appeal to the next round of investors — be they shareholders, venture capitalists or the government. Though they'd have preferred to do it later, the reality is they've already sold the cars they plan to make through October and thus have to make the changes now if they want to reach a point of profitability by the summer and assure the company stays around long enough to continue to build and service them.

Waiting customers are obviously not going to be pleased by this news considering everything else associated with being an early-adopter of the technology but they don't have much choice. Owners can take a full refund and give up their place in line if they wish. However, after waiting so long and fronting so much money for the car we imagine few will give up over $6,700. According to Tesla, no one has yet to demand a refund.

[Saxton.org]

Tesla promises their Roadster Sport will achieve a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, quicker than the 3.9 seconds the standard Roadster achieves. Power is boosted slightly thanks to a hand-wound stator and increased winding density, which we're guessing is the electric version of adding new headers and a freer-flowing exhaust.

Additionally, the Tesla is going to come with a set of ultra high performance tires sure to last a full three charges. Helping to keep the battery-laden Roadster Sport pointed in the right direction will be a revised suspension "tuned to the driver's preference" with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars.

These renderings show most of the exterior changes will likely be minor, including "blacked-out" hood vents and black wheels. Subtle tweaks are probably best given the Tesla already looks like electric sex.

According to Tesla, this latest-and-greatest Roadster Sport will start arriving in June for $128,500 so expect deliveries in September with a temporary transmission. Full details in the press release below.

Tesla Motors introduces Roadster Sport

SAN CARLOS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Tesla Motors Inc. began taking orders today for the Roadster Sport, a high-performance sports car based on the world’s leading all-electric, zero-emission vehicle.

The Roadster Sport does 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, compared with 3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster. It comes with a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque. In addition to Yokohama’s Ultra High Performance tires, the Roadster Sport has improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars that will be tuned to the driver’s preference.

The Roadster Sport starts at $128,500 in the United States and €112,000 (excluding VAT) in Europe. Deliveries begin in late June.

“This car can beat nearly anything in its price class – yet it is twice as efficient as compact hybrid sedans,” said Michael van der Sande, Tesla’s senior vice president of global sales, service and marketing. “If you refuse to compromise on performance or the environment, the Roadster Sport is your only option.”

The Roadster Sport is the first derivative of Tesla’s proprietary, patented powertrain. San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla plans to begin producing the all-electric, zero-emssion Model S five-passenger sedan in 2011.

Tesla has delivered more than 150 Roadsters to customers, and about 1,100 people are on the waiting list. Customers who haven’t taken delivery may upgrade to the Roadster Sport.

“The Roadster Sport embodies Tesla’s spirit of continuous improvement,” said CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “The Roadster has been a great success, but no one at this company remains satisfied with the status quo.

[Source: Tesla]

British motoring show Top Gear's Tesla review seemed rather positive, commending the car's speed and design. Not surprisingly, Jeremy Clarkson found the car's charging requirements onerous and the review featured a clip of Top Gear staff having to push the car into a building because, the viewer assumed, it ran out of power. He also complained of the brakes randomly failing.

Tesla quickly responded, claiming the two cars they provided never lost more than 20% of their power and the brake issue was merely the result of a fuse a technician quickly replaced. The video of the car being pushed into the shed, therefore, was faked.

The BBC offered an even quicker response, saying their premier show was merely trying to indicate what someone would have to do if the car was out of juice with the now infamous push. They stood by the statements made in the review, namely the claim the car would run out of juice after 53 miles of track driving.

Clarkson, speaking to The Telegraph, offers a slightly different and more colorful explanation:

We never said once that the car had run out of power. The car had to be pushed into the warehouse because you are not allowed to drive cars into a building. We calculated that it would have run out of power after 53 miles but they can't argue with that because that is a fact."

This seems like a fair point, but the statement appears to differ from the BBC's claim about why the car was pushed into the shed.

His statement about the brake failure, however, is classic Clarkson:

"Nobody gives a flying **** how the brakes failed. Whether it was a blown fuse or not, they were still not working."

Clearly, it's impossible to imagine the Tesla Roadsters having any build-quality issues given CEO Elon Musk's recent statements. Maybe an evil genius Tesla engineer went back in time and cut the brakes, hoping to kill off Clarkson before the review could run.

[The Telegraph]

You remember last week's episode of Top Gear where Jeremy Clarkson drove the Tesla Roadster around the Top Gear track? Remember how in that episode, a silver Tesla being tested was shown taking a dump on the track after a mere 55 miles? You also remember Tesla's Rachel Konrad claiming Top Gear was the only entity taking a dump on the track, saying "They never had to push a car off the track because of lack of charge or a fault...It’s unclear why they were pushing one into a garage in the video; I’ll refrain from speculating about their motives."? Well, now the UK Register Hardware's found out what happened. Here's what they have to say:

According to the Top Gear spokeswoman, the tested Tesla was filmed being pushed into the shed in order to show what would happen if the Roadster had run out of charge.

"Top Gear stands by the findings in this film and is content that it offers a fair representation of the Tesla's performance on the day it was tested," the BBC said in statement."

Hmm, sounds like some motoring show won't be on this year's Tesla holiday card list. [via The Reigster]

All was well in Top Gear land for the review of the Tesla Roadster. Clarkson’s usual suspicious attitude was quickly wiped clean when he raced a standard Lotus Elise, as the little electric-that-could tore past the Elise in the straights, but like the stereotype of many American cars, took a crap in the corners. Then it lost battery power after 55 miles (of heavy track use) and would require 16 hours to recharge. A second Tesla Roadster was brought out and broke soon after with Clarkson stating the motor was overheating. Clarkson went back to the first car only to find that the brakes were busted. Things weren’t looking good for the Silicon Valley startup.

Tesla spokesperson, Rachel Konrad (as an aside we know quite a number of young lads who fancied Konrad during her time spent in Detroit) was more than a little peeved upon hearing the bad review and decided she needed to step in. Konrad states the lithium-ion batteries never lost their charge, and more specifically, neither car’s charge level dropped below 20 percent.

Konrad says,

“They never had to push a car off the track because of lack of charge or a fault and it isn’t clear why the segment included footage showing exactly that.”

Curious as to why Clarkson states that the Tesla needs 16 hours to charge, she says,

“The vast majority of people who have a Tesla in their garage have much faster systems that recharge from dead to full in as little as 3.5 hours (using the Tesla Motors High Power Connector).”

The issue with the engine overheating wasn’t addressed, but Konrad says that the brake failure in the first car was an issue with a blown fuse.

“The Roadster was back up and running literally within minutes,” she said.

Although Clarkson was his usual self, complaining about anything and everything, he did appear to enjoy the car, even calling himself a “volt head” during the first part of the segment. Clarkson’s voice carries weight the world over, but considering the little Tesla Roadster's current market — Silicon Valley execs with money burning a hole in their pocket and eco-freaks; Does it matter?

[via Wired]