Detroit 2009: Tesla Roadster Sport announced

The shock of the speed is matched by the shock of the price

Tesla has already caused a big stir with just how good the performance of its electric powered Tesla Roadster is. And now Tesla has announced a Sport version of the Lotus Elise-based EV

After successfully delivering 150 Tesla Roadsters, Tesla decided to steal some of the Dodge Circuit EV’s thunder at the Detroit motor show today with the announcement of the Tesla Roadster Sport.

The Roadster Sport sprints from 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds, compared with 3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster. This comes thanks to a hand-made motor which improves torque.

Performance improvements are complimented by Yokohama Ultra High Performance tyres and revised suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars.

Tesla claims is has 1,100 on the waiting list for a Tesla Roadster, but if they fancy the Sport version they’ll need to stump up and extra $28,000, taking the list price over here to £99,520 plus VAT. Ouch.

Tesla also confirmed that its 5-seat Model S electric-powered saloon remains on target for a 2011 launch.