I was going to hit the Seawall for a bike ride but I had this strange desire to go the opposite way and head for Granville Island (a touristy place that is quite pleasant for locals as well). I rode my bike down Hornby Ave only to stumble upon something that I had only seen in pictures and in my dreams: A Tesla Motors Roadster: a fully electric sports car that will destroy in a race almost any car you will find on the road today. Along with the competition, it leaves carbon emissions behind for good. It was “Fusion Red” and it was calling to me. I approached the two men standing next to it engaged in conversation, one wore a Tesla Motors shirt. I guessed that either he owned the car and had a shirt or he was a rep. I had only recently heard that they opened a dealership in Toronto and Seattle, I was aware that a handful of people in the Vancouver area had one but I had not yet seen one for real.
We got into conversation, the man that wasn’t wearing the shirt was off for a test drive as i found out. I took some pictures for him and off they went. I decided to wait around because nearby on top of a table with a Tesla Motors tablecloth was a sign-in form for test drives.
I chatted with a waitress and a few other fellows from a nearby restaurant until the “Thunder Black” Roadster pulled up. Nice.
I spoke to a nice guy named Troy (The Regional Manager for sales in Seattle). As it turned out people had reserved ahead of time to try the car out but there also happened to be just a bit of spare time between appointments. The other guys came back with their red car and Troy said “You want to drive it?”. “Yes” was my answer to that.
We got in the car. The first thing I noticed were the bucket seats that seemed to be part of my body once I nestled in. And.. hmm the complete absence of a shifting lever. Just buttons, Drive, Reverse, Park and Neutral.
I drove the car with Troy and all I have to say is that when I put my foot on that pedal, it went… FAST. 0-60 mp/h in 3.7 seconds doesn’t leave much lag time between you and whatever might be in front of you in traffic, so be ready to leave some room. The steering is tight and when those tires grip the road they do just that, no squealing silliness just pure acceleration. At $125,000 Canadian for the Sport version which comes with a list of options… I didn’t even flinch at the price tag once I drove this car. It’s on my list and I’m happy to promote the hell out of this instant classic. The first one of its kind, at least the first available to the public. The daydreams have never stopped since.
