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Tesla’s next-gen Roadster unleashes Jay Leno’s inner child in ‘Jay Leno’s Garage’ segment

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7 years ago

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Iconic talk show host Jay Leno loves cars, particularly those that are unique and are capable of going incredibly fast. After retiring from late-night TV, Leno now hosts Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC, a program where he goes hands-on with some of the world’s most compelling vehicles. This week, Jay Leno’s Garage featured a segment about a rather impressive and unique car — the next-generation Tesla Roadster.

Just like his segment with the Tesla Model S back in 2012, Jay Leno was joined by Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, who provided some insights and background on the upcoming all-electric supercar. Leno met up with the Chief Designer in Tesla’s design studio driving his first-generation Roadster, which he dubbed as a revolutionary automobile. 

“I’m driving the past so I can look at the future,” Leno said. 

Leno’s Tesla visit began with a brief test drive of the Model 3. Leno was largely impressed with the electric sedan, stating that the smaller car “feels exactly like a Model S.” That said, what really got the veteran host excited was the Model 3’s faster, more insane brother — the next-generation Tesla Roadster. Leno’s response to the upcoming Roadster was one of wonder, comparing the vehicle’s top speed to that of a fighter jet and the car’s quarter-mile time to that of a purpose-built drag racer. The veteran host’s inner child was in full force during the segment, particularly during a sprint when he alternately screamed “I’ll buy it! I’ll take it!” while Franz was flooring the vehicle. 

The next-generation Tesla Roadster is designed to be a supercar to end all supercars. Equipped with three electric motors, the base variant of the vehicle is capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, allowing it to do quarter-mile runs in 8.8 seconds. The next-gen Roadster’s top speed of over 250 mph, as well as its 200 kWh battery that gives it a range of 620 miles on a single charge, are all designed, according to Elon Musk, to “give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline-powered cars.”

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What is particularly notable about the Roadster is that Tesla has only revealed the specs of the vehicle’s base variant. Elon Musk has since stated that there will be higher-trim models available, among them being the nothing-short-of-insane-but-cool-just-the-same SpaceX option, which uses rocket tech to help the supercar go faster. That said, Tesla’s ambitious performance claims for the Roadster were recently confirmed by test driver Emile Bouret, who gave test drives in Maximum Plaid Mode during the vehicle’s unveiling last November. According to the professional driver, the Roadster’s specs are not theoretical at all, as Tesla has actually “done those numbers.”

The production of the next-generation Tesla Roadster is expected to begin in 2020. Test drives for the all-electric supercar are expected to begin sometime next year as well.

Watch the Tesla Model 3 and next-gen Tesla Roadster’s segment in Jay Leno’s Garage in the video below.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

2 weeks ago

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March 6, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

2 months ago

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January 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

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January 14, 2025

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Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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