Italian coachbuillder Ares Design has created a one-off convertible version of the Tesla Model S for a customer who clearly couldn’t wait for next year’s Tesla Roadster.
The radical engineering job involved fitting a folding electric roof in place of the production Tesla’s fixed metal roof, and it looks like Ares did a great job of making the finished car look like a genuine Tesla product.
But the real triumph is the conversion from four doors to two. Ares’ engineers had to shorten the Model S’s wheelbase, remove the rear doors, lengthen the fronts, and fabricate new rear quarter panels.
Unlike other less successful Model S cabrio conversions from other coachbuilders who have been forced to use a central roll hoop for rigidity, Ares managed to give their car a sleeker look by adding structural reinforcement in the sills and floor.
The shorter wheelbase means this Model is more of a two-plus-two, rather than a full seater, but it looks like there’s enough space inside for four adults to make at least short trips.
Ares didn’t release any pictures of the car with roof up, but from the look of that blinding white leather interior and orange piping, its owner lives somewhere where there’s enough sun for him or her not to have to worry about putting the top up. This being a one-off, the trim was, of course, finished exactly to the customer’s specification.
“At ARES, our Co-create philosophy allows clients to work side by side with our designers and engineers to create their very own bespoke vehicle,” said Dany Bahar, the company’s CEO.
“This Tesla project is a superb example of this; it was a pure coachbuilding project which we very much enjoy doing and seeing the results of our uncompromising standards.”
The Model S project is just the latest in a line of ambitious coachbuilt creations from Ares. It recently showed an upgraded version of the old Land Rover Defender it plans to sell for around £200,000, and in 2018 announced plans to re-body 21 Lamborghini Huracans in the style of a 1970s De Tomaso Pantera supercar.
There’s no word on how much the owner paid for this special S, but given how much work went into the project, it won’t have come cheap. But since the Tesla Roadster is now delayed until 2022, he's probably feeling even better about having spent the money.
One thing is certain: the Ares convertible looks so right it does make you wonder why Tesla has never created a Model S convertible of its own.
Keyword: Ares Design reveals one-off Model S convertible