I snapped these pictures while at the Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance auto show recently. I caught these two new Tesla Roadster Sport all electric sport cars charging quietly behind the scenes. like any electric car, all Teslas need to be charged to juice up. You can see the large plug that comes supplied with the car. I am not totally sure if it can use a stand wall socket, but I don't think so. You probably need a special set up. Unlike gassing up your car, to charge an electric car you need to wait hours, not minutes.

Look into the cabin of the car and you'll find a charging status screen. A green progress bar like you'd find on a laptop computer or mobile phone is accompanied by a mileage indicator of how far you can go on the current charge. While the Tesla is charging, a light around the plug glows and beats to indicate charging is taking place.

Strolling by the scene it seems almost natural, until I realized that this is likely something we will see lots more of in the future. Not to mention the fact that most people have never seen an electric car charging, or even a Tesla for that matter. Gone here are the manicured details of the inside of a showroom or auto show. This image is just what you'd see by having your own Tesla (if you are lucky enough to get one) charging quietly in your driveway or garage. As times go on, more and more electric car charging spots are popping up all over the country. I am sure your city has at least a few with major cities having dedicated parking spots with chargers and more.

Hearing the Tesla start up and drive off is another strange experience. Unlike the bellows of a Ferrari, or the growls of a Lamborghini, the Tesla has a no engine noise, and just the soft sounds of a transmission and tire noise. Like a large radio controlled model car, but made for people. Tesla has had a lot of financial problems, but thankfully many have come to its rescue and the cars are finally ready for prime time.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

A few years back we went on one of the best road trips ever at the wheel of a Jaguar XK convertible. So we literally leapt at the chance to take the brand new one for a spin. Jaguar roadsters have always held a place of honor in the pantheon of stylish sports cars, dating back to the legendary XK120, forerunner of the current model - although stylistically the new XK owes more to the XK-E (E-Type) with its oval mouth. The XK120 referred to the car's top speed; when introduced in 1948 it was the world's fastest standard production car, with killer looks to match. It acquired an instant aura of glamor and cemented Jaguar's reputation forever when Gary Cooper, Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart cruised Hollywood in their XK120s like stylish gods. (We'll develop on this theme further in a later installment).

The XK120 evolved into the famous race-winning XK120-C, or C-Type, that in turn led to the wicked D-Type, made famous by Steve McQueen, and eventually the iconic E-Type, which as noted the current model most closely resembles. First unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, the E-Type's legendary power to attract the opposite sex was phrased best by American motoring writer Henry Manney III, who dubbed it "The greatest crumpet-catcher known to man." Not a bad precedent for its more recent relation. While we didn't actually catch any crumpets with the new XK, it wasn't the car's fault as we were more interested in zooming down the road than cozying up to the local flora and fauna. Also there are a lot more outlandish-looking autos on the road these days; compared to these the XK exudes an elegant aura of restrained power that behooves its feline namesake; very British in a sense.

For 2010 the aluminum-bodied XK available as of this August is kitted out with an AJ-V8 Gen III 5.0-liter engine capable of delivering 385 hp and 515 Nm of torque (a supercharged version produces 510 hp and 625 Nm of torque). With these numbers the naturally aspirated version hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. Some subtle, sporty updates over previous models have been made to the exterior without detracting from the car's stylistic heritage, including a new front end, new rear lights fitted with LED technology, a new rear body valance, body-colored side power vents, chrome-detailed inserts, and sleek alloy wheels.

An image of Lamborghini's hotly-anticipated $380,000 Murcielago LP650-4 Roadster (above) has been leaked, and it looks to be well worth all the build-up. Only 50 examples of the limited edition convertible will be produced. The car's powertrain has not yet been revealed, but it's expected to get a 650hp V12 engine capable of about 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds.The exterior is finished in a special flat gray with bright orange accents employed on the side skirts and front lip, as well as to highlight details inside the cabin, while dark alloy wheels complete the lean, mean look. The interior features an asymmetric dashboard, Alcantara and leather upholstery, and plenty of bells and whistles.

[Autoblog.nl via MotorAuthority]

If the Tesla Roadster wasn't zippy enough for you, Tesla Motors has announced the Roadster Sport, a new faster upgrade to the all-electric, zero-emission vehicle that eco-minded celebrities and other deep-pocketed and green folks have been waiting to get their hands on. The Roadster Sport does 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, shaving a mere .2 seconds off the time for the the standard Roadster. It has a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque. The Roadster Sport has Yokohama Ultra High Performance tires, improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars that will be tuned to the driver's preference. The Roadster Sport starts at $128,500 in the United States and deliveries begin in late June. So far Tesla has delivered more than 150 Roadsters and another 1,100 people are on the waiting list. Those on the list can upgrade to the new Sport model.

It doesn't look particularly fast but the IFR Aspid could give many exotics a run for their money. The Spanish car does 0-62mph in 2.8sec and can hit 100mph takes just 5.9sec. The Aspid was unveiled last summer at the British International Motor Show (check out Autoblog's photo gallery here). it was designed by Ignacio Fernandez, an engineer who has designed world rally championship cars. It has a 400bhp supercharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine and is designed to be light as well as luxurious. Nick Hall of the Times Online recently took it for a spin and found that it was both speedy and comfortable. The interior is done in leather and carbon fiber and includes Bluetooth and wifi internet access. All this and it is said to get 51 mpg. Hall calls it a work of art. It is supposed to be out next summer and costs 135,000 euros.

Perfumer Mathilde Laurent has created a couple of new fragrances for women in the past couple of years and now turns her hand to the first men's fragrance for the jeweler in nearly a decade. Roadster is inspired by Cartier's Roadster watch. The cap resembles the Roadster's watch crown and the bottle is meant to be laid on it's side, evoking the look if a car tailight. The fragrance has notes of bergamot, mint, patchouli and vanilla and will be sold in Cartier boutiques and Bloomingdale's stores for a suggested $105 for a 3.3-ounce bottle. There's currently an interesting thread on Basenotes debating the scent.

[via Daily Breeze]

Auto Trader UK, admittedly not always the most reliable source of information, is batting about the news that BMW plans to revive its Z8 roadster.

At a mere 3,300 lbs., the vehicle would be about 550 lbs. lighter than the competing Mercedes SL, and have BMW handling and high-performance engines to boot. Motor options include BMW's 300 hp 3.0L V6, 400 hp 4.4L V8, 500 hp 5.0L V10 and 600 hp 6.3L V12, the latter two of which could end up in an M version of the roadster.

The last Z8, designed by prolific auto designer Henrik Fisker, was Pierce Brosnan's steed in the 007 movie The World is Not Enough and was ultimately killed off in 2003.

Audi has debuted the TT Clubsport Quattro study for Wörthersee 2007, an auto enthusiast event in Austria. The speedster is stripped down to to those parts that make it most racetrack-worthy, with the 300-horsepower TFSI four-cylinder engine mated to Audi's S-tronic direct-shift gearbox, ceramic brakes, light aluminum components and four-point seatbelts taking the lead.

The wraparound windscreen (notice the lack of an A-pillar), barely-there windows and short rollbars seem to have a "minimalist" feel, yet the prominent grille, LED-encrusted headlights and HUGE intakes and fat fender flares are so much larger than life that they make the vehicle almost a caricature.

Like any self-respecting German automaker, the gadgets abound. A B&O MP3 player BeoSound 2, designed especially for this vehicle in order to fit into the round spaces set aside for the entertainment area on the dash, while a remote control is the only way to get the doors to open from the outside.

Check out the automaker's full press release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

I was driving back from a meeting this morning listening to a radio show discussing the Bombardier Spyder. One host was arguing that the new roadster trike was perfect for middle-aged men like himself who were interested in the motorcycle experience but worried about falling over. The other host argued that no man with any self-esteem what so ever would be caught dead on this thing instead of a real bike. Either way it's a distinctive vehicle, looking a bit like a regular motorcycle from the back but more like a riding lawnmower from the front. It has a 106 horsepower Rotax 990cc V-twin engine, a five-speed transmission, anti-lock brakes and a stability control system. The Can-Am Spyder roadster sells for $14,999 and comes in either yellow or silver. It will be available in the U.S. this fall.