Let's say you're interested in the Tesla Roadster but prefer something different, perhaps something European. Until now, there haven't been many options, except perhaps the super-sleek Fisker, which is still a stretch in terms of direct competition. But now there's something new, something that looks heavily influenced by Porsche. It's called the Brusa Spyder, and it aims to compete with Tesla head-on.

But how does it perform? According to the Brusa website, the two-seater has 260 HP, and will go from 0 to 60 in less than six seconds. So it's not as powerful or peppy as the Tesla, but it's still formidable, especially given its humble origin as as a university thesis project at the engineering school of Buchs NTB in Switzerland. The Buchs NTB students developed the gears, batteries and an auxiliary power system (through a small roof-mounted solar array); Brusa brought their expertise to the project late in its development.

The Spyder is driven by twin electric motors mounted on the rear wheels, and has a range of 125 km at an average speed of 80 kph. Max speed is estimated at 200 kph. Recharging the battery will take about 3 hours for 60%, and Brusa recommends burning off between 20 and 80 percent of the charge daily.

Is Tesla worried? Probably not... a little friendly competition never hurts.  

Source and photo: Brusa