There’s no denying that Tesla has come a long way since it threw a battery pack and a badge on a Lotus and called in the Tesla Roadster. The brand now has four models in its range with a pickup truck and a semi on the way, potential range has nearly doubled compared to the original roadster, and Tesla is on the horizon of finding some pretty stiff competition in a segment it once had a dominating stronghold on. A decade after the original Roadster debuted, Elon Musk presented us with what is, essentially, the second-gen Roadster. This time around, however, it holds the title of being Tesla’s most aggressive-looking model and even delivers supercar-like performance with the caveat that it also comes with a supercar-like price in its best form. So, while the original Tesla Roadster has broken the record by traveling more than any other car in human history (Elon Musk’s roadster that was sent into space), the new roadster is breaking its own records. Even with figures like 7,376 pound-feet of torque, 620 miles per charge, or 0-to-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, we’re never truly happy and always want more. And, that’s exactly why this rendering of the Tesla Roadster as a shooting brake as tickled our interest in a way that few renderings ever do. It’s a forbidden fruit and ever seeing one is a long shot, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream, right?

2020 Tesla Roadster Shooting Brake

Until this rendering surfaced, nobody really had any desire to see the new Roadster be anything other than what it was but, now, all of that has changed. It’s hard to believe that the overall design of the roadster actually looks good in shooting brake (or hatchback form, really) but it just kind of works. There’s just something about the way the aggressive rear quarters play into the elevated roofline and rear hatch that just feels like desire in its purest form. And, that’s what it is, really. The overall profile with that extended and slanted roof just screams performance.

The first option borders on the line of unlikely but there is one market that Tesla hasn’t really tapped into - the hot hatch market. This design, albeit with some minor modifications, would make for an exceptional competitor to the electric hatchbacks of the future. Mix in some Roadster DNA, a slightly taller roof, and all of that Tesla performance goodness and Tesla could help invent the electric performance hatchback segment. It’s only a matter of time before it exists, so why not, right? The other option, and one that’s a little more likely, is that an aftermarket tuner could dive in and create a real-life version of exactly what we see here. It might seem outlandish, but there is a Tesla Model S Shooting Brake floating around out there, so the same company could take the plunge and give the new Roadster the same treatment.

Of course, the Targa top would have to be lost in the process, but when you consider the overly stylish look and raw performance, it’s worth the sacrifice. But, then again, maybe I’m just lost in my love for compact hatches, so what do you think?

2020 Tesla Roadster 2.0 Performance

0-to-60 mph

1.9 seconds

0-to-100 mph

4.2 seconds

Quarter mile

8.9 seconds

Top speed

250+ mph

Range per charge

620 miles

Battery pack

200 kWh

Electric motors

3 (one in front, two in rear)

Torque

10,000 Nm


Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2020 Tesla Roadster.

Read our full review on the 2008 Tesla Roadster.