First Validation Prototype Tesla Roadster arrives Stateside

click above image to view AutoblogGreen's gallery of Tesla Roadster pics

It's fair to say that we've all been impressed with the all-electric Tesla Roadster so far. Aside from the car itself and its impressive specs, researching Tesla Motors itself will show you that this Silicon Valley startup is building a legitimate, new automotive brand and doing everything by the book. As such, Tesla is quite proud that the first of 10 new Validation Prototype versions of the Tesla Roadster have arrived in San Carlos, CA from the factory in Hethel, England.

Compared to the Engineering Prototypes we've all seen countless times, the VPs have a significant number of new or modified parts. On his company blog, Vice President of Vehicle Integration Malcolm Powell lays out the visible changes that have been made to the car.

• Headlamp and tail lamps – The EPs had functional place holders (right, above) while VPs are fitted to production intent (right, below)
  
• Seats – The VP seat shell has a wider base and trim detail has evolved
• Centre console – We modified the profile to match the seat change
• Heating and ventilation – Controls and graphics were adjusted for clarity
• Center High Mounted Stop Lamp – repositioned to improve rear visibility

Nine more cars are destined to be delivered, with four slated for crash testing and two for marketing purposes, including first drives scheduled for the media. Don't worry, as far as I know we're on the list, and we can't wait.

[Source: Tesla Motors via AutoblogGreen]