Brabus Tesla Roadster (2008) : batteries with bling

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

13 November 2008 15:04

Cometh the hour, cometh the tuning company. Brabus, purveyors of all things fast and freaky, is turning its hand to the electric Tesla Roadster. It's unveiling this customised battery car at the 2008 Essen car show – and the company has launched a new arm called Brabus Zero Emission to cater for the growth in eco-friendly cars.

Sadly, the company hasn't yet been able to make any engineering changes to the Tesla's electric running gear; this new model is all about cosmetic upgrades. You can read plenty into the addition of a speaker system that can play simulated V8 engine sounds and two warp-speed travel effects at various volumes...

Brabus fits 19in alloy wheels with fag-paper thin 255/30 boots at the rear, neon-effect lighting systems by the doors and finishes the Roadster in a new matt white paint job. Other cosmetic options include carbonfibre wings, Alcantara interior trim and – very porno – a leather floor.

Let's hope Brabus's new Zero Emission specialists turn their attention to the mechanicals next time. Now a green hot hatch could be just the thing people actually want in these penny-pinched times...

By Tim Pollard