The Tesla Roadster 2020 diecast unboxing may have revealed a bit more about Elon Musk and Franz von Holzhausen’s all-electric sports car. Tesla’s Next-Gen Roadster has been in the works for two years now since its unveiling, and any glimpse or information about the vehicle will be much appreciated—especially for those who won a free one.
YouTuber Tesla Raj unboxed a Tesla Roadster 2020 diecast model recently on his channel. Diecast models are usually accurate to the make and design of the vehicles they emulate, and Raj noted that the same is true with the Next-Gen Roadster.
According to Raj, the diecast model looked just like the one Elon Musk and his Chief Designer von Holzhausen revealed back on November 16, 2017, during the unveiling of the Tesla Semi.
The Roadster 2020 diecast had visible red calipers and large, wide wheels, just like the real car. It had the same big grill at the front for air and headlights as well.
The glass roof of the 2020 Tesla Roadster diecast didn’t have its glass roof attached when Raj opened it. That attachment was found in the trunk, which opened up like a hatchback. The back seats of the four-seater Tesla sports car were folded down to make room for the roof extension. Based on the 1:18 scale model, the roof may attach through two hooks found near the tips of the windshield, above the front seats of the car.
Credit: Tesla
Raj also observed that there were two pillars inside the Tesla. There were at the front under the windshield and one between the front and rear seats. There was a rearview mirror in the car, as well. The front seats were white, while the back seats were black, though the rear seats looked more like jump seats in terms of size.
The YouTuber seemed perplexed when he couldn’t find a hatch for a frunk—one of the more popular features of Teslas, partly thanks to the popularity of the FrunkPuppy trend. When Elon Musk and von Holzhausen presented the Next-Gen Roadster, there didn’t seem to be a hatch for a frunk either. In the video of the presentation, the front of the car appears to be seamlessly connected to the windshield. There weren't visible cracks or open spaces from the nose of the 2020 Roadster to the windshield at all.
Ray identified the lack of a frunk in the Next-Gen Roadster as its most defining feature. He speculated that the frunk’s space could be used for either extra batteries or a larger drive train to accommodate the 2020 Roadster’s ambitious speeds.
The diecast model Ray unboxed seemed to be the standard version of the 2020 Tesla Roadster. According to Elon Musk, the new Tesla Roadster can do 0-60 mph in 1.9s, 0-100mph in 4.2s, and a quarter-mile in 8.9s. Its top speed was recorded to be above 250 miles per hour. The 2020 Roadster is expected to have 620 miles of range at highway speeds and fitted with a 200kwh battery pack. It has three motors, one in front and two at the rear.
The Next-Gen Roadster will have tons of storage, according to Elon Musk, during the vehicle’s unveiling. The trunk of the sports car does seem spacious based on the diecast model. However, without a frunk, the 2020 Roadster’s storage will probably be significantly less than the Model S, 3, or X.
SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
It must be noted that the speeds and specs Elon Musk announced during the 2020 Roadster’s unveiling were based on tests done with a prototype of the Tesla sports car. Since it was unveiled, both Musk and von Holzhausen have released updated information about the new Roadster.
In a podcast, von Holzhausen stated that the production version will be better in every way compared to the 2017 prototype. Meanwhile, Musk announced an optional SpaceX Package for the Roadster. The SpaceX Package only comes as a two-seater variant. According to a Musk tweet, with the SpaceX package, 10 small rocket thrusters will be placed seamlessly around the car to improve acceleration, top speed, braking, and cornering. He even teased that the optional feature would make the 2020 Tesla Roadster fly.
