What's that on 10th Avenue?
You sure don't see Tesla Roadsters parked on the street every day here in NYC. Something must be amiss…
Tesla Roadster
…Ah, it must be a private Tesla event. The Roadster was looking spiffy as ever.
Tesla Roadster – side
The Roadster's racy lines are dramatic as always, but that wasn't the main reason I attended.
Tesla Model S
The Model S, on the other hand, is set for production in late 2011, and will be much more of a volume seller, with 20,000 examples planned for the first model year (likely 2012).
Tesla Model S – Front
The front end of the car looks every bit as imposing—and expensive—as an Aston Martin.
Tesla Model S – Road Test setup
Chelsea Piers, on Manhattan's far West Side, proved to be a good choice for a secret Tesla testing ground.
Tesla Model S – Acceleration run
Even loaded with grubby journalist passengers, the Model S blasted off 0-60 runs that would challenge a turbocharged 2009 BMW 535i—and that felt very much like a 2009 BMW 335d I tested recently.
Tesla Roadster
The original Tesla, the Roadster, is still much quicker. I took a moment to swallow my spleen again after that particular run.