The Tesla Roadster is expected to be the car that would prove once and for all that fossil fuel-powered vehicles are going the way of the dinosaurs that they use to propel themselves. The all-electric supercar is poised to be equipped with several unique features, such as optional SpaceX-inspired cold gas thrusters, a possible jack for Elon Musk’s Neuralink initiative, and as noted recently by the CEO himself, racecar-esque one-nut wheels.
Elon Musk’s recent statements about the Roadster’s wheels were posted on Twitter, with the CEO stating that the upcoming halo car will feature F1-style centerlock wheels. “My favorite is one in tension, other DoF in compression. New Roadster wheels will only have one nut,” Musk wrote. And ever the meme-lord he is, the CEO later jested that yes, the Roadster, due to its centerlock wheels, will have “huge nuts.”
Nutty jokes aside, Tesla’s utilization of a single-nut wheel design could allow the new Roadster to optimize its performance even more. Such types of wheels are typically used in racing events like Formula 1 and, more recently, NASCAR, since they could be easily removed during pit stops and they provide ample space for large brakes and calipers.
It’s not just vehicles in actual racing events that are equipped with centerlock wheels either. Some of the most notable high-performance production supercars also featured the same single-nut design, like the Koenigsegg One:1 and the legendary Porsche 918 Spyder. With its goals in mind, the new Roadster’s centerlock wheels are pretty much well within character.
The next-generation Tesla Roadster was unveiled back in 2017, and it shocked the automotive world with its industry-leading and nothing-short-of-insane specs. Interestingly enough, a later interview with Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen revealed that the production version of the vehicle will be better in every way compared to its already-stunning prototype.
Elon Musk has noted that while the new Roadster is more like the “dessert” to Tesla’s main course of vehicles like the Cybertruck and the Model Y, the all-electric supercar is still a key component of the company’s vision. Tesla has taken some steps towards the Roadster’s production as well, with Elon Musk stating during the Q2 2020 earnings call that the vehicle will likely be produced in California.