M C GREGOR, Texas, United States – Tesla has unveiled a redesigned Roadster featuring SpaceX-developed thrusters, showcasing a dramatic demonstration in which the electric sports car flipped in midair, cleared other vehicles and landed back on the ground.
The long-delayed vehicle was demonstrated at a SpaceX test site near McGregor, Texas, where Tesla CEO Elon Musk and company executives presented the car as a new frontier for high-performance road vehicles.
The demonstration featured the Roadster accelerating up a curved ramp, using a suction system to remain attached while inverted before firing cold-gas thrusters to launch into the air and perform a midair manoeuvre.
In another display, the vehicle jumped over a lineup of cars and a Tesla Semi truck before landing on the other side.
“Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Musk said during the event.
Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy also declared that “flying cars are real”.
Tesla Claims Sub-One-Second Acceleration
Tesla said certain Roadster versions would accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than one second, a performance claim that would place the vehicle among the fastest-accelerating production cars if achieved under real-world conditions.
Musk attributed the proposed acceleration to the car’s thruster system, which the company says can generate several times the force available through tyre grip alone.
“Every car on the road today is limited by one thing: tire grip,” Tesla said in a post on X, adding that the Roadster’s thruster system generates four to five times the force the tyres can produce.
The company also said all three planned versions would have a range of 300 miles and a top speed exceeding 230 miles per hour.
Production Delayed Until 2028
Despite the spectacle, Tesla says production will begin in 2028, nearly a decade after the second-generation Roadster was first unveiled in 2017.
At the time of the original unveiling, Tesla had targeted deliveries for 2020, but the vehicle has faced repeated delays.
Musk did not announce a final price at Thursday’s event. Tesla had previously quoted a base price of $200,000, although its reservation page now lists different payments for the planned versions.
Three Versions Planned
Tesla is offering reservations for three Roadster trims, each aimed at a different level of performance.
- Performance: A two-seat version described as road-ready, featuring active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system.
- Thrust: A two-seat, race-ready version equipped with rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters and designed for sub-one-second acceleration.
- Rocket: An invite-only, single-seat version described as air-ready, featuring 10 cold-gas thrusters positioned around the vehicle.
Tesla’s website lists a $50,000 reservation payment for the Performance version and $250,000 for the Thrust model. The company has not publicly specified the Rocket version’s price.
The reservation payments are not the same as a confirmed final purchase price.
Musk Revives His Vision Of A Futuristic Sports Car
Tesla has described the Roadster as “the best of the last human-driven cars”, positioning it as a showcase of electric performance and SpaceX-inspired technology.
The new demonstration marks another attempt to bring the long-promised vehicle closer to production after years of delays and changing timelines.
Whether the Roadster’s thruster technology will translate into a commercially available car capable of the demonstrated manoeuvres remains to be seen, with production now scheduled for 2028.
