Posted by: Rob
Editor-in-Chief

The people have spoken. And we heard them. Alex, our fearless leader, announced the lucky winners of CarDomain's People Choice at SEMA this morning.

Best Audio/Video Upgrade: Rockford Fosgate 3Sixty

Most Exciting 2007 Car Launch: Tesla Roadster 

Best Exhaust: Magnaflow Cat-Back systems 

Most Mod Friendly Car: Honda Civic 

Best Tires: BFGoodrich Tires Force T/A KDW 

Best New Car Magazine: Subiesport 

Best Wheels: BBS of America RE

Best Performance Upgrade: Nitrous Express Fly by Wire Stage 1 EFI Nitrous System

Best Suspension Upgrade: Eibachs Pro Kits 

Show off of the year: sigfus: 1966 Ford Mustang 

Here's Alex presenting, and Tanya Jacquot from Magnaflow receiving her award from Greg.

Comments

Matthew Thomas
Apr 24, 2008 7:21:31 PM

I just thought you guys might be interested. Edelbrock presents its "3rd Annual Charity Car Show" on Sunday, April 27, 2008, 9am to 3pm at Vic's Garrage, 510 Madrid Ave, Torrance, California . This is a car show to raise funds for Autism Center. For more info check out: http://www.revvedup4kidz.com/

Jeffhre
Mar 28, 2008 3:16:28 AM

For Parveen Sehmi.
As suspected by many, it is relatively easy to convert a Lotus Elise into a Tesla Roadster using a few hand tools including a screw driver, pocket-knife and adjustable wrench. Simply use your tools to efficiently remove the front windshield, front wishbone assemblies and dashboard.* Now you will need Tesla’s specs for their chassis design. Once obtained you can fab this yourself, or you can go to Hethel England to take advantage of the revolutionary bonded aluminum process used by Aston Martin, Jaguar and also, of course, by Lotus in your now slightly incomplete Elise. When completing your chassis mods, don’t forget to include your new rear subframe and new rear wishbones designed by Tesla (now don’t cheat by trying to adapt your Elise chassis which is shorter and lacks the load carrying configuration and engineered stress points to carry a nearly half ton battery pack in a car that is in total, only about 2600 pounds). OK we’re almost done. Simply source worldwide about $85,000 worth of additional parts that are unique to Tesla and have about $40,000 of them arrive to meet you in England. You could take all this stuff (including unique carbon fiber body panels all around) for your entourage, posse or buddies to assemble in your garage at home, but that would add several thousand hours to your conversion time. Now, once the Tesla engineers and Lotus assemblers have helped you assemble your rolling stock, send it by boat to San Carlos CA, USA. There you will meet up with the rest of the necessary parts. Ask, very politely, if the Tesla engineers and assemblers would help you put the parts that you have ordered into the configuration of their; proprietary battery and it’s temperature regulating system and controls, regenerative braking and controllers, motor and controllers and integration of electronic systems that will give you smooth and efficient driving and meet all safety standards. Then simply put your completed motor, transmission, battery and controllers into your rolling stock, wire it together and test. If all tests OK, then assemble your battery charger according to Tesla engineered specs and discard the Lotus Elise minus windshield, dashboard and soft-top. So for the price of a Lotus Elise, plus a little less than an additional estimated $275,000 USD , and a few thousand hours of your time, your conversion should be as smooth as any home built auto conversion could be. Happy motoring, oh if you really want to save a little cash, go the extra mile and replace the wishbones at the front of your discarded Elise, tape some plastic or something to the windshield opening and see if you can sell it on Ebay to some guy with some Bondo and an extra steering wheel.It will be virtually a complete car to enjoy again.

*If it sounds like it’s going to get complicated from here, because this is actually only the front end and not really the business end of a mid biased sports car, don’t worry. In fact, you can discard the remaining Lotus Elise, because with the exception of the soft-top that’s all we’ll be using. Warning: Stop here if you find long and complex projects with engineering breakthroughs to be daunting.

Parveen sehmi
Feb 23, 2008 2:52:54 AM

Well done J.Smith for knowing more about the internal workings of a sex toy than myself. Get out more.

My point is that 99% of the work done on the tesla is done by Lotus, and there are so many of these blogs almost directly attributing this car to Tesla himself as if he has laid a finger on it. Tesla as a company is taking credit where very little is due, they are no more a coachbuilder than a serious car manufacturer.

All tesla have done is application of existing tech - no innovation.
Lotus is a world leader in car design bar none, they were proposing high performance electric cars almost twenty years ago. And produced the first high performance bioethanol car - the Exige E85.

There is a reason why some of these major manufacturers go to Lotus when they need something done correctly, why do you think VW-Porsche keep trying to buy the company? Where is the tesla being built? At Lotus.

Major manufacturers have the potential, but as with computer companies will withhold it until it is financially intelligent - there is still a hell of a lot of money in oil. They don't make cars out of the goodness of their hearts.

I love the idea of the tesla roadster and I would buy one, but get it straight who actually put the tech in.

Sara Kit
Feb 11, 2008 3:51:40 PM

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Feb 7, 2008 1:52:43 PM

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Roland
Jan 29, 2008 7:57:25 AM

If and when gas cars are become obsolete, I won't miss them. I always liked the idea of using a motor better.

Roland
Jan 29, 2008 7:57:18 AM

If and when gas cars are become obsolete, I won't miss them. I always liked the idea of using a motor better.

Karl-Ohyd Fuses
Dec 16, 2007 11:18:36 AM

12 / 15 / 07

AS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER FROM YOUGOSLAVIA (TESLA'S HOME COUNTRY)
I AM DELIGHTED THAT SOMEONE FINALLY DOES SOMETHING LIKE AN ELECTRIC CAR, HONORING A GENIUS (TESLA MOTORS) WHO WAS BORN 100 YEARS AHEAD OF
HIS TIME. I AM INTERESTED GETING INVOLVED IN YOUR OPERATION.
Karl-Ohyd Fuses
globalmagitian@yahoo.com

Karl-Ohyd Fuses
Dec 16, 2007 11:15:31 AM

12 / 15 / 07

AS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER FROM YOUGOSLAVIA (TESLA'S HOME COUNTRY)
I AM DELIGHTED THAT SOMEONE FINALLY DOES SOMETHING LIKE AN ELECTRIC CAR, HONORING A GENIUS (TESLA MOTORS) WHO WAS BORN 100 YEARS AHEAD OF
HIS TIME. I AM INTERESTED GETING INVOLVED IN YOUR OPERATION.

Jim Jakosh
Nov 29, 2007 6:26:48 AM

I think it will take some getting used to because it doen not have the sound of the IC engine, but the savings will make you an enthusiast.
I fear for the future of this car because the politicition who are not working for us but rather special interests, like oil companies, will find a way to kill it with legislation and regulations or big oil will make them an offer they can't refuse. I hope they can stick to their guns and proceed with this concept.
Just think, we could create our energy with solar cells and wind generators and plug in our cars without needing Exxon or Marathon etc. The challenge is to get the range to about 400 miles on a 4 door car for the average family

Fake_Blood
Oct 15, 2007 1:35:21 PM

The electric car is probably a good thing, but it will be a sad day when the sounds, smells and feelings of the internal combustion engine are forgotten. Electric cars seem a bit boring to me. I'm keeping my 91 300ZX Twin-Turbo as long as I can!

Greg
Sep 9, 2007 9:55:24 AM

For any one who doesn't understand electric cars and why we need them, please do this.
1. Watch the movie "Who killed the electric Car."
2. Review the Tesla website to see what an electic car can do now.
3. Consider that advancement will be made to make electic cars better.
4. Consider that our current known reserves of oil will be exhausted in 100 years. Oil to fuel vehicles is thus unsustainable.
5. A prudent person would look for an alternative.
6. You should now be in the market for an electric car.

DanRollo
Aug 17, 2007 9:09:30 AM

These guys are winners and the tesla electric car will be succesfull because their not in big oils pocket.All those politicians who have supported big oil and gas guzzlers hope your running scared!

John Smith
Jul 17, 2007 7:16:48 AM

To P. Sehmi,

Let me see if I understand your comments:

1. You say that Tesla (the inventor of Alternating Current (AC) power generation has no connection with the subject cars development ("He has as much to with these cars as he does with vibrating sex toys"), despite the fact that the car in question incorporates a 248HP poly-phase AC motor? [FYI: Sex toys generally operate in batteries - Direct Current, you'd be better off crediting Volta, or perhaps Edison for the sex toys).

2. You imply that it's development is trivial ("All the tesla boys have done is stick an electric motor in a decade-old designed Lotus chassis"). If it's so trivial why haven't the major automotive manufacturers offered any thing close (besides the fact that their in bed with the petroleum industry)? In fact, If it's so simple why don't you make one?

Your criticisms have only demonstrated your ignorance - derision is easy, creation is difficult.

david moxness
Jul 11, 2007 4:39:38 PM

Holy crap I do not believe how many people don't get it or want to get it.People driving the Tesla will be grinning ear to ear when everyone else is paying $5 to $6 per gallon for gasoline SOON and they are paying o or pennies per mile to charge up. The status quo does not want to see the electrics but they are HERE!!!!

Parveen Sehmi
Jul 3, 2007 4:40:11 AM

Or the ZAP-X electric SUV concept, at least that's got some decent range. I don't see why Nikola Tesla is given any credit. He has as much to with these cars as he does with vibrating sex toys (electric motor!) why don't we honour him for those too?

Parveen Sehmi
Jul 3, 2007 4:31:28 AM

All the tesla boys have done is stick an electric motor in a decade-old designed Lotus chassis and pretty it up with some carbon fibre. It seems that tesla want to hide the fact that the without Lotus this car would simply not exist, not a mention of them on their website. Hardly exciting stuff. This is quite a common theme with manufacturers, the Ford GT and the new Skyline replacement, among many, have both had input from Lotus. I'll stick with my new lotus exige s thanks, rather than a toaster stuck in a 10 yr-old bit of tin foil.

Mike Gwyther
Jun 26, 2007 5:29:33 PM

Good work guys. Anyone promoting the use of electric cars is on the right side in my books. The future is an exciting place. Let's hope we aren't all knee deep in water before it arrives... I'd like to see some of the US and British Govts resources ploughed into this kind of technology rather than in a war in a desert thousands of miles away that shouldn't even be on our radar and yet now seems to dominate everything we do. The oil dinosaurs should be well on their way out by now. Why are they still in control? Next election make sure you vote for someone who can help make a clean, green, peaceful earth a reality.

Jeff Douthwaite
Jun 24, 2007 4:14:01 PM

My ZAP Xebra cost only $10.5K but has range of only 20 miles and max Veloc 42 mph. Where do I find some better batteries ? rsvp

Allen
Jun 14, 2007 6:58:17 AM

Please, Please, make a plain 4 door Tesla car with the same range between charges,- for us poor folks,- and please try to tell the American people about Nikola Tesla,- the man that changed the world with his inventions.- I would like to see a full size picture of him in every library on his birthday along with a story of what he did. Please,- that man has to be honored for what he did.

Rocky Odom
May 15, 2007 2:50:03 PM

It's a good start but 200 miles in Texas is hardly to the grocery and back. Well , maybe a little further. I guess batteries is the key??

Ikhlas Ilmy
May 14, 2007 2:36:51 AM

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John Twiss
Apr 16, 2007 1:22:18 PM

Tesla's car har a range of only 260 miles? The ZAP-X electric SUV will do 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, uses the Lotus chasis and electric motor, sort of like Tesla's sportster, a top speed of 155 miles an hour, and a range of 350 miles with a ten minute re-charge. And it looks great too!

John Twiss
Apr 16, 2007 1:18:27 PM

Interesting that Nicola Tesla is getting all the credit for this car - how about Lotus without which it would not exist? Or does the fact that Lotus is British, not American, make it something to ignore?

John Twiss
Apr 16, 2007 1:17:17 PM

Interesting that Nicola Tesla is getting all the credit for this car - how about Lotus without which it would not exist? Or does the fact that Lotus is British, not American, make it something to ignore?