Ares Design is showing off a one-of-a-kind coach-built electric vehicle that it produced on commission. The car is a two-door Tesla Model S convertible with a retractable fabric roof and stylish aero kit hiding where the backseats used to be. The interior of the vehicle was also completely redesigned.
The company says it was commissioned to turn the Model S, which is typically a four-door coupe, into a two-door convertible. Ares turned to a Modina, Italy-based company to perform alterations on the body, chassis, aerodynamics, and interior during the coachbuilding project. To turn the vehicle into a convertible, engineers had to remove the roof and rear doors along with the B-pillars.
The conversion also required the building of new and longer front doors. A rear bonnet was designed to store the roof when the top is down. The project also included the installation of an Italian style carbon fiber aerodynamic kit.
When the top, rear doors, and B-pillars were cut from the car, structural integrity was retained by reinforcing the chassis with additional strengthening for the side members. Bracing was also installed beneath the cockpit and rear seating area. The interior was completely redone with custom-made rear seats using hand-stitched ice white leather with orange detailing.
The interior certainly looks fantastic, and the overall product is well finished and very attractive. One big mystery is how much additional weight was added to the car during the conversion. With an electric vehicle, more weight means less driving range. The owner certainly has a one-of-a-kind car that looks factory-built. There is no indication of how much the conversion cost.