Sep 02
From: Motor Trend
Al & Ed’s Audiophile-Equipped 2009 Tesla Roadster
Green, Lean, and Always Ready To Bump
September 02, 2009 / By Nate Martinez
It’s not often we get to drive a brand-spanking-new Tesla Roadster. And it’s even more rare for us to get behind the wheel of one that’s been given what’s likely the world’s first EV-friendly aftermarket stereo system.
Lucky for us, we have a few friends over at Al & Ed’s Autosound in West Hollywood, California, who recently gave us a ring upon finishing their latest cutting-edge project cars. We’re well versed in their customization craft: They install and tune all kinds of audio and aesthetic goodies in everything from Bentleys and Lamborghinis to Hondas and Nissans.
But when they told us about their growing list of bespoke Teslas, well, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take one for a spin.
If you’ve ever had the chance to check out a Roadster firsthand, one of the first things you’ll likely notice is its sparse, lackluster interior. It’s as if designers paid minimal attention to passenger amenities and focused solely on the car’s EV system. That said, we don’t necessarily blame them — the Tesla is a revolutionary car set in a purpose-built and simple Lotus frame.
But not surprisingly, there’s a growing faction of well-heeled Roadster buyers who’ve plopped over $100K for their brand-new EV and are less than thrilled with the car’s cabin. It’s here where independent franchise owner Elie Rothstein and his team of expert craftsmen step into the picture.
The all-black Tesla Roadster pictured is the first in a new lineup of bespoke Teslas created by the crew in WeHo. Key to its uniqueness is its bespoke interior ($7000) lined with Mercedes-Benz-grade black leather and Alcantara with custom contrasting stitching. The seats, dash, doors, and cargo shelf behind passengers’ heads are covered in the soft hides. Aesthetically it’s a major upgrade over the base car and looks to be extremely well crafted. Rothstein’s team can do nearly any leather color combination and grade per the customer’s requests.
Upon entry, one of the first things you’ll notice is the door-mounted speakers that are part of the Tesla’s Audiophile Sound System ($8000). Neatly tucked into each panel is a set of compact handmade Focal 6.5-inch component and tweeter speakers. A single 10-inch subwoofer sits unobtrusively in the passenger’s footwell. Ensuring power is delegated sufficiently is an Alpine PDX 600-watt amplifier, while a bright seven-inch Kenwood multi-media deck controls all.
Should the custom interior and Audiophile stereo be specified together, all factory speaker holes are filled and replaced by the sleek leather. The factory’s abnormal speaker positioning isn’t optimal for superior sound quality, Rothstein notes.
On the topic of power, what’s amazing about the entire setup is that it’s powered by a dedicated 12-volt recyclable battery with 100-watt inverter. This prevents the high-wattage system from hindering the performance and safety of the complex OEM circuitry. It takes only a few hours to fully charge on a standard wall socket and, 100 percent juiced, will last roughly 10 hours with constant usage.
In much the same way the car’s battery power level is indicated, a digital readout set beside the passenger footwell allows users to see how much power and time they have left to bump their tunes.
And, boy, does it bump. With the top installed, the stereo sounds crisp, clear, and, of course, loud. Since the Tesla’s cabin is a relatively small compartment — keep in mind, you have to flop into its buckets and gymnastically climb out of them in a Lotus-like fashion — the sound is extremely aggressive, but not unpleasantly so. After a few minutes of playing with volume, it never struggled, blew any fuses, or messed up the car’s operation. Take the top off and the setup is equally impressive.
If you’re wondering about actual car performance, the Audiophile system adds only 60 pounds to the curb weight, so it’s not a major handicap to the car’s claimed 4.0-second 0-to-60-mph sprint.
As audiophiles know, speaker timing is a big part of what makes a custom system really shine. And Rothstein makes it a point to tune each speaker individually to his client’s ears based on music types and the volumes they generally listen at. “It takes around four hours to completely tune a car,” he explains. “It’s a major part of ensuring the package’s overall quality as well as satisfying the customer’s audio requirements, he adds.
Those owners not interested in the whole performance audio shebang can opt for the shop’s basic speaker upgrade ($900), which replaces the meager factory units with higher-quality Focal Polyglass coaxial ones. A simple $3000 deck upgrade featuring the aforementioned Kenwood AVN (audio, visual, and navigation) with backup camera is available as well.
Rothstein’s store also offers carbon-fiber doorsills ($2500) for an added interior touch. A carbon fiber rear diffuser ($3000), front lip spoiler ($3000), and rear wing ($2500) are available for those looking for even more. Step it up another notch and buyers can throw in a state-of-the-art ticket avoidance system ($2500) and custom-colored OEM wheels ($1500).
Rothstein and his Al & Ed’s builders have taken what can be considered one large step in a profitable direction. With the slew of EVs and hybrids headed to market in the next few years, safe to say, the team from West Hollywood already has the know-how to customize just about any battery operated vehicle’s audio system to surprising levels. Next up on Rothstein’s EV and hybrid car list: the beautifully crafted Fisker Karma, of which, he’s number 88 on the waiting list. And let’s not forget the Tesla Model S.
