The Tesla Roadster 2 supercar, the successor to the first Tesla vehicle that made its debut in 2008, will be the fastest serially produced car in history, according to Elon Musk presentation made in 2017. It turns out that the company plans to further increase the performance of the vehicle by using the so-called "SpaceX Package", which will make the vehicle literally cosmic.
The basic version of the Roadster will be able to reach 100 km/h in just 1.9 seconds and the maximum speed of the vehicle will be 402 km/h. Reaching the speed of 160 km/h is expected to last only 4.2 seconds. In the 1/4 mile race, the car is expected to achieve results of less than 8.9 seconds. Improving these achievements could seem an almost impossible task. The Tesla Roadster, however, has a great job to do, which is to surpass the gas-powered sport vehicles in every aspect. Therefore, the more expensive version of the vehicle will be equipped with... 10 small rocket engines. Identical to those used in Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
We are, of course, talking about reaction control thrusters, which are used to maintain the correct balance of the rocket, or to guide it to the landing site. These inconspicuous machines handle the enormous power needed for heavy and large rockets. The engines will be driven by high-pressure air stored in COPVs (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels) also used in Falcon rockets to store high-pressure helium or nitrogen.
In the case of the Roadster, the air will be automatically supplied by the air pumps powered by the Roadster battery, thus eliminating the need for manual filling of COPV tanks. The tanks will most likely be positioned in place of the two rear seats available in the basic version of the vehicle. Although pumps to power the system will require a certain amount of electrical power to operate, this should not have a significant effect on the range of the vehicle. Tesla is designing a new 200 kWh battery with a range of around 1,000 km on a single charge for the Roadster.
Elon Musk also added that the new Tesla Roadster will be "out of this world" and "there will be no finer car in history", and that the engines will help not only to reach higher speed and acceleration, but also to brake and perhaps even turn. Those who want to buy a car must wait until 2020, when the production of the vehicle will start. The basic version will cost $200,000. It is possible to book the car now by making a prepayment of $50,000.
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Source: Electrek