Tesla Roadster test driver says promised specs 'conservative'

\"It\'s going to be a proper weapon,\" says test driver Emile Bouret.

A test driver who spent time with the Tesla Roadster suggests the company's stated performance specs may actually be conservative.

The next-gen Roadster is claimed to be capable of rocketing to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, completing a quarter mile in 8.8 seconds, hitting 100 mph in 4.2 seconds and ultimately topping out above 250 mph.

Some enthusiasts have cast doubt on the numbers, most of which are superior to the Bugatti Chiron that will cost 15 times as much as the Tesla Roadster. Speaking to VINwiki, Emile Bouret, an outside test driver who was invited to drive the new Roadster, suggests the performance specs might actually be under-promising.

"I know there's some skepticism about the figures that Elon quoted," he said. "Those are actual figures; those aren't theoreticals; those aren't calculations; we've done those numbers, and I probably shouldn't say that those numbers are even conservative, but they are."

Tesla chief Elon Musk has also hinted at rocket technology to help the car accelerate and brake quicker than any gasoline or electric car currently on the market. The Roadster is expected to travel for 620 miles on a single charge, thanks to a 200-kWh battery.

Final specs are unlikely to be announced until closer to production.