The grand opening event kicks off on this morning at the Tesla store located at 551 W 25th St. in the Chelsea Art District of Manhattan. To commemorate it, Tesla offered a sneak peek and media preview of the 2010 Roadster as well as limited test drives of the new Roadster on Tuesday.

As the new store in Manhattan opens, Tesla has also announced with the backing of Bank of America, a special financing program available on all new Roadsters.

If you are interested in financing your Roadster, here's how the numbers work out. On a 5 year loan, with only $20,000 down at a 5% estimated APR, you can get a Roadster for a mere $1,700 per month. Bank of America will finance up to 75% of the purchase price requiring at least a $20,000 plus down payment.

The numbers seem quite expensive, but they are close to typical for a $100,000 plus car. According to Tesla, the actual cost of their vehicle undercuts many competitors. The real advantage that the Roadster has over it's competitors is it's cost of use. At 244 miles per charge and an electric fill up at $4, it becomes evident that the vehicle has low operating costs. Additionally, EVs qualify for several incentives in some areas including free charging, use of the commuter lane, and no sales tax or luxury taxes in some areas.

Bank of America will finance the Roadster at a comparable APR to other lenders, and becomes the first official bank backing the vehicle and the company. For now, they will only offer financing on the Roadster, but they have stated that they plan to offer similar financing on the more affordable Model S when it arrives at dealerships.

Source: Tesla Motors