Ares to build Tesla Model S Roadster
How hard is it to make a drop-top version of an all-electric saloon? Ares is about to find out
It was probably only a matter of time before a design house went and lopped the roof off a Tesla Model S. This is the go-to model for companies wanting big exposure, of course - just ask Qwest in Norfolk or London-based RemetzCar, who've both made estate versions. But making a convertible version of Tesla's four-door saloon is, in engineering terms, a much, much bigger challenge. You're removing a vast amount of structural material, for starters. Little surprise that it's taken a few years for a design house to step up to the challenge.
Modena-based Ares Design, the firm to take on the task, has released an early sketch of its Model S Roadster to illustrate what it wants to make. Visible are two rear buttresses, frameless windows and a more prominent rear bumper. There are also five-spoke alloy wheels beneath swelled wheels arches, the front pair of which look to feature rear vents. Or perhaps that's just a brush stroke.
We'll leave the discussion as to whether it's a good look or not up to you, but there's no denying it's unique. And certainly far less offensive on the eye than another attempt at a drop-top Tesla.
Will Ares uprate the car's electric powertrain? Although the firm does occasionally boost the performance of its models, going so far as boring out the Lamborghini V10 engine of its Panther supercar by 400cc, there's a strong chance it'll leave the Model S's drivetrain as it is. It's not like anyone's ever complained of a Model S being particularly underpowered, plus improvements in EV output inevitably hinder range.
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