Both the Performance and Thrust require an initial refundable payment of RM21,000, followed by a second payment within 10 days.
TESLA Malaysia has opened reservations for the new Roadster, shortly after the radically reworked electric sports car made its latest debut in the United States.
Malaysians can currently put their names down for the Performance and Thrust versions, while the more extreme Rocket is available by invitation only.
Getting into the queue is not cheap. Both the Performance and Thrust require an initial refundable payment of RM21,000, followed by a second payment within 10 days.
For the Performance, another RM182,000 is required, bringing the total reservation amount to RM203,000.
The Thrust requires the same RM21,000 upfront, followed by RM988,000 within 10 days. That brings its total reservation amount to RM1 million. These are reservation payments rather than the final selling prices of the cars.
Note that placing a reservation does not constitute an actual vehicle order. Instead, it secures a position in the queue to configure the Roadster closer to production, with the final purchase price to be confirmed at that stage.
Tesla’s reservation terms also allow customers to cancel for a full refund before configuring the vehicle and entering into a final purchase agreement.
The Performance is the entry point to the Roadster range, although there is very little conventional about it.
It is a two-seater with active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system that uses electric fans and deployable elements beneath the car to generate ground effect. Tesla claims the system can produce enough suction to hold the Roadster upside down.
The Thrust adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters to that package. Compressed air is released through four rear nozzles to provide additional forward thrust beyond what the electric motors and tyres can deliver, with the demonstration car completing 0 to 96km/h in 0.81 seconds.
At the top is the Rocket, a single-seat version equipped with a more extensive thruster system around the car.
Tesla demonstrated the setup by sending the Roadster airborne and performing mid-air manoeuvres, with the company quoting a 0 to 96km/h time of 0.59 seconds for this version. The Rocket is invitation-only and is not approved for public-road use.
The Roadster shown today is also substantially different from the second-generation concept first revealed in 2017. After years of delays, Tesla now says production is planned to begin in 2028.