Technology · Article
Tesla Roadster: The Car That Tries to Fly
Tesla spent nine years promising a second-generation Roadster. On October 15, 2026 it finally showed one, and the first thing it did was hop over other cars.
The reveal
At an event outside Waco, Texas, Tesla unveiled a redesigned Roadster: white, angular, with doors that swing up. In the demo it used fans and thrusters to drive up an inverted ramp, spin, and land on the pavement. While moving, it also lifted itself over a Cybercab, a Cybertruck, a Semi, a Model Y and a Model 3. Elon Musk described it as the best of the last of the human-driven cars.
What Tesla says it can do
The numbers are Tesla's claims, not independent tests. The company showed a 0 to 60 mph time of about one second and says every version has about 300 miles of range and a top speed above 230 mph. The rocket-style performance comes from ten cold-gas thrusters fed by 600 liters of compressed air, which Tesla says can be recharged. That air is held in carbon-fiber pressure vessels packed into every usable space in the car.
Three versions
Tesla described three trims. Performance is the road-ready two-seater with active aerodynamics, and takes a $50,000 reservation. Thrust is the race-ready version with rear thrusters and a sub-one-second 0 to 60 claim, with a $250,000 reservation. Rocket is a one-seat, ten-thruster version billed as invite-only. No production price has been announced.
Why people are skeptical
The history alone invites doubt. Tesla first showed a second-generation Roadster in 2017, Musk first proposed thrusters in 2018, and the project slipped repeatedly, with the reveal moving from late 2025 to April, then October 1, then October 15 after weather delays. Reporting on the reveal also noted that this type of pressure vessel has been linked to explosions at SpaceX. Musk said safety is not the main goal and that Tesla would aspire not to kill anyone in the car. Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee asked whether it was a prank.
What comes next
Production is slated for 2028. Musk said the car may not move revenue much, so it is best read as a statement about what Tesla wants to be known for. Whether it ever carries a customer, let alone flies one, is the part to watch.
Source: TechCrunch. Specs are Tesla's claims and were not independently verified.