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The world’s first all electric supercar, the Tesla Roadster, is set to get an update from German super tuners Brabus; a package that includes appearance tweaks to the interior and exterior, as well as a fascinating sound package for the near-silent EV.

New wheels and tires, a carbon-fiber front lip spoiler, and a “futuristic” lighting package are all very nice for the Tesla, but we’re most interested in the “space sound generator” that will come equipped on each Brabus Roadster. The tuning house is seeking to give the Tesla a more exciting, albeit completely faked, running sound with electronically produced effects. Owners will be able to set their Tesla to make noises approximating a V-8 engine, a racecar engine, or “two futuristic soundscapes.” Those last two effects are named “Beam” and “Warp,” and we’re absolutely chomping at the bit to hear them in action—we’re looking into the matter as of this writing, don’t worry.

This type of piped in sound is a feature that Hybrid and EV makers have been discussing for a hot minute now, and could lead to a class of vehicles that are aurally dissimilar from anything we’re used to today. It’s a topic that causes some deal of fretting from auto enthusiasts and one that we’ve dealt with in some measure before (click through the link below to get our own Chris Paukert’s take on the subject).

Have a look at the gallery of Brabus Tesla Roadster images above and stay tuned for more information, as we have it, about the tantalizing sound generator. You’ll find the full press release below.
 

+ Winding Road: Pace Notes

The internet was aflutter with rumors of a big shakeup over at Tesla Motors last week, with some sources claiming that up to 100 employees could be laid off after the young automaker suffered a financial blow alongside pretty much everyone else in the industry. At the time we were led to believe that the company was putting all future projects on hold—more specifically the much-discussed four-door Model S, or WhiteStar—and that the company was closing up shop in its Auburn Hills, Michigan engineering office while keeping the fires burning at the San Jose, California headquarters.

Now it seems as if all may not be well in Cali either, as Los Angelinos have started murmuring that the spanking new Tesla showroom has remained closed for business today. One savvy resident said, “The lights are off, the doors are closed and locked, nobody and no cars around.”

There could be any number of reasons that the Tesla crew took this particular Monday off (company picnic perhaps?) but having no one manning the fort is never a terribly comforting sign for an organization that could very well be neck-high in the financial tall grass. Stay tuned for more information as we have it.

+ The Truth About Cars: Wild Ass Rumor of the Day: Tesla Dead?

Tesla plans on launching all-electric city cars in 2010 in collaboration with several manufacturers, reports the UK’s Car Online. The experience and know-how Tesla gathered from the development of its Roadster (seen above) is playing out well in its mission to become more than just an independent car company—in fact, it appears Tesla will become something more like a Tier 1 supplier as well as a manufacturer.

http://earth2tech.com/2008/07/14/teslas-silicon-valley-store-to-open-next-week/

The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, addressed the media at Tesla's San Carlos facility about new incentives for Tesla and other spawning electric car companies to continue production of vehicles in the state. With discussions of moving Tesla production to New Mexico, a CAEATFA program that was approved last Wednesday would exempt automakers from sales and use tax when purchasing the manufacturing equipment to build electric vehicles. This initiative can save automakers like Tesla millions of dollars when it comes time to build a new fabrication facility in California.

Electric sports car builder Tesla Motors is suing designer Henrik Fisker (pictured) and Bernhard Koehler of Fisker Coachbuild, for fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract.

Tesla Motors has decided to dispel the falsifications surrounding the release of its Roadster. Tesla vice president of sales, marketing, and service (and Winding Road reader) Darryl Siry has started a “Mythbusters