September 25, 2026

Watch this unreleased footage from 2008 of Jay Leno and Elon Musk with the Tesla Roadster

Elon Musk Jay Leno Tesla Roadster

Jay Leno apparently has lots of free time on his hands during the COVID-19 self-isolation. While recently going through archived footage from 2008 that had never aired on his “Jay Leno’s Garage” show, he found this interesting segment with Elon Musk and the 2008 Tesla Roadster.

It also appears Jay Leno has a time machine as part of his unique collection of vehicles, as the video opens showing him wearing the same jeans and jean shirt as he was in the 2008 video.

The video begins with Leno and Musk discussing the manufacturing of the vehicle, which was the first production made Tesla Roadster, referred to as unit 1. Musk details how while the Roadster is built on the Lotus Elise Chassis, it is an entire different vehicle with a 6″ longer chassis and many Tesla made components.

After discussing more about the power train, battery pack, the advantages of electric vehicles (EVs), and how electromagnetic braking works, Leno takes it out onto the roads for a spin.
During the drive, Leno comments how quiet the Roadster is, something which he is not very used to with all the muscle cars in his collection.

Leno appears to be particularly enamoured with the instant acceleration from the EV, something which all Tesla owners know and love today. He ends the video with quite the appropriate quote, considering his love for Tesla today – “Hey, if this is the future, I’m not that worried.”

Check out the full video below.

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