Tesla is offering a secret special deal for some owners

Matthew DeBord/Business InsiderThe 2.0 version of the Gen 1 Roadster.Tesla has a referral program that gets existing owners to convince other people to buy new Model S and Model X vehicles. In return, they can work their way up a ladder of special rewards. The program has been in place since late 2016.

Some owners are evidently referring so many new owners that they've unlocked a heretofore unknown perk: the opportunity to buy the as yet un-revealed new Tesla Roadster for a 10% discount, according to Jalopnik's Justin T. Westbrook, via Teslarati.

Teslarati describes the reward thusly, which was discovered in the Tesla app:

Initially, the double-secret Roadster reward seemed like it might be a put-on buried deep in the Tesla app, but Tesla confirmed that it's for real.

A Founder's Series Roadster would be among the first new vehicles built when Tesla get around to revamping its original car, a zippy all-electric two-seater than proved an EV could be far more than a glorified golf cart. I'm a big Roadster fan; it was the first Tesla I ever drove and it's still my favorite.

Very active referring owners, as Jalopnik noted, could actually get a free next-gen Roadster if they convince a lot of new customers to take the Tesla plunge.

Screenshot via Teslarati

Tesla has been promising a new Roadster for a while now, but we don't really know what the timetable will be. Probably a few years, at least.

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