Hautos

Watching Tesla

The one-of-a-kind TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster has the same body as a typical Tesla, but it features a complex, five-layer paint job in Foucault Field Gray, complemented by pin-striping and precision-designed TAG-themed vinyl wraps, influenced by the imagined arc of a pendulum in honor of the watch’s name. Inside, Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla Motors’ senior design executive, integrated several unique design concepts inspired by TAG’s 150-year history. “There are a lot of very bespoke, one-off elements of the car that are unique to this vehicle,” he explains. For example, the center console features a TAG one-fifth second limited edition stopwatch and a Meridiist mobile phone, as well as the Grand Carrera Pendulum concept watch, displayed in a specially designed box.

In addition to promoting TAG’s concept watch and the brand’s anniversary, part of Tesla’s mission behind the Odyssey tour is to demonstrate the daily usability of the Roadster to markets that may not be familiar with the car. “We still see that people don’t really believe that electric cars are here right now,” explains von Holzhausen. “And when we show up with an actual vehicle, and they see it drive under its own power, it’s still a jaw-dropping moment for a lot of people. But you just need to be behind the wheel of a Roadster for five minutes before you realize that this really is the future.”