Tesla Model S Motor Trend Preview

Here's a musing for you: If one were to rename Tesla's electric sports car its Model R instead of its Roadster, what would be the moniker of its third car -- the truly low-cost one they hope to someday build after the voluptuous Model S that was shown to the press last Thursday?

The Model T?
If so, Mr. Musk may be thinking bigger than any of us are imagining. The name Model T is heavy symbolism of revolutionary change. A century ago, the T put the world on motorized wheels. Anybody using the name today to suggest a second-century electric reincarnation of Ford's everyman automobile would be displaying chutzpa of monumental proportions, right? Well, chutzpa is one thing Elon Musk doesn't lack. Consider this nutshell description of another company he runs, SpaceX, which he offered to Inc.com when it named him Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007:

"I started SpaceX because I wanted to help reduce the cost of space transportation so it would be feasible to establish life on another planet. We optimize not only the launch costs but also the cost of developing and manufacturing the rocket. We're like a low-cost version of Boeing and Pratt & Whitney, on top of a Southwest."

Hey, what's creating the electric Model T compared with establishing life on another planet?...Continued