Tesla Roadster nearly sold out in U.S.

The days of walking into a Tesla showroom and purchasing one of the automaker's iconic Roadsters are limited, says Tesla chief executive officer, Elon Musk. The oft-outspoken Musk told SFGate that:

I think there's a handful of cars left to sell in the U.S. People in Europe and Japan probably have another six months to place orders for the Roadster. In the U.S., it's maybe a month or two. So, if somebody has an interest in buying a Roadster, they had best put in an order very, very soon.

Of course, this doesn't come as a surprise considering that back in January of 2010, Tesla's SEC filing contained this nugget:

We do not plan to sell our current generation Tesla Roadster after 2011 due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster.

The current iteration of the Tesla Roadster is built in Hethel, England by Lotus using Elise/Exige underpinnings. Since the Elise/Exige is up for replacement, the current generation Roadster is on its way out. So, bottom line: If you want a Roadster, order now, or wait until the Model S launches in 2012.

[Source: SFGate via All Cars Electric]