Breaching the 2-second mark for a 0-60 mph (approximable to 0-100kmh) sprint has been the stuff of automakers’ dreams for decades – the closest attempt yet being the Porsche 918 Spyder’s run at 2.2 seconds at an independent test. To shave the last 0.2 seconds off in one fell swoop, however, seems an overly ambitious goal.
It’s also a claim that we’d pay no heed to, were it not Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk that hinted at the possibility. Tesla currently holds the #2 position on the 0-60 list with the Tesla Model S P100D Ludicrous – beating centuries-old car companies to the punch.  Clocking 2.28 seconds in independent runs, the car is also the fastest-accelerating sedan and production unit on the market right now.
Could Musk’s tease turn out to be the first foreshadowing of a sub 2-second Roadster Y? It’s likely – he’s known to make such comments only when he feels his technical teams can deliver. Furthermore, he was careful to insert a qualifier discussing street-legal parts; the tires, in particular.
Concept: Vinicius Buch.
With such tight acceleration margins, half the game is won by unrelenting traction from good tires – much like how a sprinter’s push-off influences his or her run greatly. This points to the technology being in place for the Roadster Y to at least take home first place if it doesn’t break the 2-second floor, and suggests that the latter feat may be possible with aftermarket modifications. Tank treads, anyone?
Until Tesla Motors feels ready for a proper unveil, we’ll only have Roadster Y concept renders from industrial design extraordinaire and UDESC graduate Vinicius Buch, seen in the article cover and subsequent images.
Bonus: If you were wondering why “Ludicrous†crept into the formal name of a production car, it has everything to do with the 1987 parody film Spaceballs, where the speed of light was the slowest setting on the protagonist’s spacecraft, the faster options being Ridiculous, Ludicrous, and Plaid, in that order. “Maximum Plaid†will indeed be reserved for the Roadster Y, according to a Tesla press release.
