As I stand to let the car pass by, staring in a jealous stupor, I listen for the telltale, low purr of a car engine but sound never comes. Quiet and stealthy as a panther, the car creeps out of the garage and speeds off down the street, never emitting a sngle sound.

Whoa — rewind. A car without sound? From roaring VW Bugs to sleekly rumbling Audis, there hasn’t been a popular car in history with the ability to sneak up on even Ted Howard … until now. The sexy, 100 percent certified, freeway-approved electric car is here, and it’s making a ruckus without the help of an engine.

The first Tesla showroom in the Seattle area opened in July, and it’s already promising to turn the car industry upside-down.

“There’s currently 30 in the Seattle area, and as of about a week and a half ago we surpassed the 700 on the road already,” says Lance Merkin, a Tesla sales advisor.

Though priced at a slightly-out-of-budget $110 grand, it’s well worth dropping on such a beautiful car.

Unlike many hybrids out there, the Tesla is sleek, sexy, and very desirable, putting the Prius to shame. It’s a low (only 44 inches tall), fast, convertible two-seater, speeding from 0 to 60 mph in just under four seconds. At a zooming 200mph, the top speed is also more than respectable.

The power supply is “exactly like what’s in your laptop,” says Merkin. It charges in just about three and a half hours in a regular outlet, with 244 miles of reckless driving to enjoy before the battery dies.

A second model, a family-oriented sedan due out in 2012, is priced at half the current cost of the Roadster. Sadly, by the time our folks have a shot at this baby most of us will be out and about enjoying college life. But who knows, maybe your parents will decide going green is more important than affording food for your family.

At twice the energy efficiency of the Prius and 100 times the sex factor, the Tesla can very accurately be summed up in the words of Garfield math teacher Heather McCreery: “Mmmm, delicious.”