Tesla Roadster CEO Elon Musk’s ambitious new promises/claims have raised eyebrows – including those of Bugatti’s CEO.
In an announcement on X, formerly Twitter, Elon Musk announced/claims that Tesla has “radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster.” Among the new benchmarks: acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in less than one second.
Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac, says those numbers are technically feasible.
As reported by Road & Track, Rimac’s own electric sports car, the Nevera, set the current 0 to 60 acceleration record last year – 1.71 seconds.
“We simulated it,” Rimac replied to a Facebook comment under a photo of Bugatti’s new Chiron sports car engine. “It is possible.”
However, accelerating that quickly may have some drawbacks, according to the Croatian auto executive.
He explained, “The problem is that you release the air in 2-3 seconds, and then you have many dead weights to carry around (tanks, compressor, valves, nozzles, etc.).”
Though alternative acceleration methods, such as suction fan technology, would be impractical, the Bugatti CEO said thrusters were the only option. Despite the fact that some sports cars have incorporated suction fans, Rimac dismissed the technology due to the Roadster’s weight and “massive” equipment needed.
Tesla declined to comment before publication on how the Roadster would break Rimac’s record, saying only that acceleration was “the least interesting part.”
On Tesla’s website, the Roadster was previously advertised as reaching 60 mph in 1.9 seconds.
The production design for Tesla’s second-generation Roadster is complete, Musk posted, and it will be unveiled by the end of the year. Models will begin shipping in 2025. “I think it’s the most mind-blowing product demo ever,” he said.
Tesla faced criticism last year after Cybertruck drivers pointed out that many of its specifications, including its range and price point, were not what it had originally stated.
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