BRABUS begins business of tuning the Tesla Roadster
by Sam Abuelsamid on Nov 13th 2008 at 10:59AM 
Click above for high-res gallery of the BRABUS Tesla Roadster
As we move inexorably toward the electrification of cars, companies that have made a business out of tweaking engines for more power will have to make some significant changes to their business model. BRABUS is a company known as the primary third-party alternative to AMG when it comes to enhanced cars from the house of Daimler, and today has announced its first foray into electricity. The German tuner is now offering a package of changes for the very few people who have or will soon own a Tesla Roadster. For the moment at least, changes to the all-electric powertrain are verboten. That means BRABUS has focused on other things like stylistic "enhancements" and a supremely odd "space sound generator" that emits the roar of a V8, race car engine or two futuristic sounds called "Beam" and "Warp".
A set of LED running lamps mounted in the front air intake look kind of like they were ripped off an Audi. Perhaps BRABUS should have developed a new headlamp cluster that integrates the LEDs like real Audis do. Meanwhile, the underbody neon lighting looks like something from 1989 Miami and the rear wing is a questionable addition, as well. It's hard to judge the matte white paint finish in the available photos, so we'll set that aside for now. The only visual change that actually works is the new 18-inch front/ 19-inch rear wheel/tire package with Pirelli P Zero Nero tires. Given the number of Tesla Roadsters that actually exist at the moment, we probably won't see very many examples of this package on the road, which debuts later this month at the Essen Motor Show in Germany.
Gallery: BRABUS Tesla Roadster
[Source: BRABUS]
World Debut at the Essen Motor Show 2008
The Very First Tuned Electric Car Comes From BRABUS:
BRABUS Customization Program for the Tesla Roadster
The first tuned electric car comes from BRABUS: The first project of the future cooperation between Tesla Motors, Inc. and the new BRABUS business division Zero Emission celebrates its world debut at the 2008 Essen Motor Show. BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) presents an exclusive customization program for the Tesla Roadster, the world's first electrically powered production sports car.
The new BRABUS logo with added lightning bolt is the trademark of BRABUS Zero Emission vehicles.
To give the sports car a more exciting sound the BRABUS electronics specialists have developed a 'space sound generator.' The occupants on-board the Tesla Roadsters can choose from several simulated engine sounds including that of a typical V8 combustion engine, a racecar engine and two futuristic soundscapes named 'Beam' and 'Warp.' The volume of the sound is dependent on the momentary power output of the electric motor.
A custom-tailored BRABUS tire/wheel combination further improves handling characteristics. The two-seater is refined with weight-optimized BRABUS Monoblock S light-alloy wheels in size 7Jx18 in front and in size 8.5Jx19 in back. BRABUS technology partner Pirelli provides the corresponding P Zero Nero high-performance tires in size 215/35 ZR 18 in front and in size 255/30 ZR 19 on the rear axle. These tires were developed to deliver minimum rolling resistance.
The two-seater also receives an even more striking exterior at BRABUS. The customization measures include a special high-quality 'matte white' paintjob. To give the mid-engine sports car an even more enticing face the BRABUS designers treat the front apron to a lightweight carbon-fiber front lip and daytime running lights integrated into the front grille. Matte-white surrounds for the headlamps add interesting detail to the overall effect.
The sides of the Tesla are upgraded with BRABUS entrance lights shaped like futuristic space lights. They are activated with the keyless fob or by pulling on a door handle. BRABUS carbon-fiber air inlets add even more sporty flair. Immediately apparent in the rear are the BRABUS rear wing and the BRABUS rear diffuser, both made from light yet extremely strong carbon fiber. The round taillights are accentuated further by matte-white applications.
The BRABUS customization program for the Tesla Roadster also includes exclusive interior options. The range of products starts with scuff plates with illuminated BRABUS logo. They are integrated into the top of the rocker panels.
The company-own BRABUS upholstery shop masterfully handcrafts exquisite custom interiors for the Tesla. The designers chose a combination of especially soft yet durable BRABUS perforated lightweight leather and Alcantara. The cockpit features white seams to reflect the exterior color. The vehicle floor is also upholstered with lightweight leather for added exclusivity.
The goal of the BRABUS customization concept for the Tesla Roadster is to define a potential limited edition as well as an individual tuning program for the Tesla driver.
BRABUS 2008. Copyright free. Please send us a copy of the published article.
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For additional BRABUS information please visit our web site at www.brabus.com
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rainy99 11:07AM (11/13/2008)
Schucks called and would like their neon lights back...
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MajorGeek 11:07AM (11/13/2008)
Not being super knowledgeable about electric cars so I wonder aloud... Why would you add anything that sucks down electricity to the car, especially wasted areas like lights for show. It seems lightweight body parts, wheels and perhaps some handling items would be more appropriate. It just seems that wasting electricity cuts into your ride time and defeats the purpose of owning the car. It just seems out of place to me?
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Franz 11:16AM (11/13/2008)
I'm particularly worried about the "space sound generator". I think if people want to hear the roar of a V8, then they buy one. "Beam" & "Warp"? What is this, an episode of Star Trek? This is just as bad as fake BOV noises on Civics.
Mobius_1 11:38AM (11/13/2008)
So do the indicators go "pew pew"?
Gomi 11:51AM (11/13/2008)
the 'space sound generator' might be cool if you could upload your own sounds... until someone uploads 'la cucaracha' that is.
Nick 11:52AM (11/13/2008)
The space sound generator is almost too funny/ridiculous to be believable. Are they tuning the car for 8 year olds?
It does seem more than weird that these "mods" will actually decrease the performance of the car...wtf?
Red 1:36PM (11/13/2008)
@ MajorGeek,
The body is carbon fiber and the wheels are about as small as they can get, so I'm not sure how much of a difference forged wheels would make. About the only thing you could really do would be to install a new suspension, but I'm not particularly sure you could go much stiffer without making ride pretty harsh. Brabus doesn't really tune for all out handling (the engine is a difference story), and the springs and dampers have to be tuned not just for road carving but holding all of that extra weight. It's a bit of a conundrum. I probably would've just skipped modding altogether until I could figure out how to boost the electric motor, but I think the electric motor is sealed. Not saying you couldn't unseal it though...
P.V. 7:19PM (11/13/2008)
Regarding the Civic, why not just add a large exhaust pipe like the ricers?
Or, for REAL "tuning", why not add a more powerful electric motor? That would be better than the power-sucking artificial sound system.
On a related note, some people are concerned that the Prius is too quiet for blind pedestrians, so they are installing similar V8-esque sound generators.
tekd 8:13PM (11/13/2008)
Quite frankly all I've learned from this is that BRABUS has gotten into the business of faux-tuning, or "ricing" cars up (personally I think it's lame that people call it ricing when I see idiots of all ethnicities do this to everything from VWs to Chevy's...to I guess Tesla's now).
Seriously I could probably have overlooked the bodykit since it's fairly tasteful, but the sound generator pushed it very much into the realm of windshield wiper LEDs and giant wings. *sigh*
kaoken 1:07AM (11/14/2008)
Well these luxury cars aren't meant to be driven far, so the drain on batteries is acceptable.
Robert 11:25AM (11/13/2008)
The electric car after market is going to be a lot different from that of gas. In the electric tuning area, gearhead companies can't simply add bigger pipes and a blower to make more power. Geeks will be the ones that dominate the electric car after market with custom software or hardware hacks.
It irritates me that a company with a good reputation with combustion cars would do something as foolish as try to stake an early claim in the electric tuning world by doing something as minimal and boring as this.
They would have been better off taking the time (as in a year or more) to research the Roadster and electric cars (or hire someone who already knew WTF they were doing) and actually do something provocative.
This reminds me of when the RX-8 came out, and no one could get any real power gains out of it with traditional bolt ons. So, most started making stupid "eye lids" for the headlights, body kits, and the like instead of researching the engine, ECU, etc, to do something worth a crap (Racing Beat excluded, of course).
I just lost any respect for BARABUS that I had. What a farce.
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Assass1n 11:42AM (11/13/2008)
+1
Also worth mentioning is their "performance" line for the smart cars. All that is just cosmetics as well, at least it is on the American version. Yeah, BRABUS is kinda losing it these days.
s13hybrid 12:32PM (11/13/2008)
+2
What I don't understand is why they didnt enhance the suspension/handling at least. I mean that should change much if at all. And if you are a "tuning" company, you should just do some research before throwing a caar out there as modified. Other wise you are just another APC.
Red 12:42PM (11/13/2008)
@ Robert,
To be fair, Brabus, if I recall correctly, Brabus DID in fact tune the electric motor of the Pike's Peak GLK they just recently presented at SEMA. I think they boosted the overall system slightly as a starting point (it was the first hybrid electric drivetrain publically shown for the GLK).
I agree they should've taken their time with the Roadster, but I disagree that there's nothing more to come.
tekd 8:23PM (11/13/2008)
Yeah, electric car tuning is going to require a lot of serious electrical engineering knowledge, and most tuning companies probably have no clue what they're doing with regards to that stuff.
Someday I'm sure there'll be companies putting out "high amperage solid state capacitor units" that'll let you run your motor at a higher voltage/amperage for short bursts (kinda like electric nitrous I guess), or maybe even swap out the brushes in the motors or the entire motor (although this seems too costly to be popular), and obviously suspension tuning can go on like it always has. But I wouldn't really trust most tuning companies out there to work on this kinda stuff. Honestly I'm not sure if I'd trust any company not affiliated with an auto manufacturer to have the skills needed to mess around with the crazy complex electrical systems without screwing your car up, so the real power mods are going to have to come from AMG/Alpina/TRD/NISMO/Mazdaspeed or something like an SS or SRT car. SVT doesn't really exist anymore but Ford could still come up with something if they had an electric sports car.
Heh, I can see it already, the Volt SS and TRD capacitors and high-voltage batteries for the Prius. Would be pretty hilarious stuff.
John Johnson 11:22AM (11/13/2008)
Wow, LEDs everywhere, noisemakers, and no performance enhancements. Just like a 16 year old's Civic!
Woo!
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hoeun kim 11:29AM (11/13/2008)
yeh, until they can start modding the batt output and the electric motor accordingly to increase the power output and/or suspension mods to handle better, all this fluff mods are pretty worthless... and honestly, isnt silence one of the attractions/defining characteristics of an electric car? this is no different from poser mobiles of fast and the furious with the neons and bunch of crap parts that really doesnt add to the performance.
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:34AM (11/13/2008)
I would think any performance mod to an electric car (like the Tesla) would invalidate the battery pack warranty. And given the battery pack in a Tesla Roadster costs more than many entire cars, many can't afford to suddenly be left out in the cold if it blows up.
thesvtautox 11:53AM (11/13/2008)
well, a lot of the engine mods on a internal combustion engines void warranties also. and at base price of 98,000, im assuming that people buying this car can afford the mods and have other vehicular options in their stable.
why not the LS2LS7? 12:20PM (11/13/2008)
You can replace the engine in a gas car for perhaps $5K. A Tesla battery pack is $35K+. And that doesn't even count the price of the power controller or the motor itself.
It's a whole different league.