Tesla Unveils SpaceX-Powered Roadster With Flying Stunts

Tesla has finally pulled the covers off its redesigned second-generation Roadster, showcasing a futuristic electric sports car equipped with SpaceX-inspired thrusters, dramatic aerial maneuvers, and acceleration that could make it one of the most unusual vehicles ever built for public roads.

CEO Elon Musk unveiled the vehicle at an event outside Waco, Texas, presenting it as what he called “the best of the last of the human-driven cars.” The demonstration featured the Roadster climbing an inverted ramp with the help of high-powered fans and thrusters, spinning around, and landing smoothly on the pavement. It also appeared to leap over several Tesla vehicles, including the Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3.

Musk said the demonstration represented the actual production vehicle rather than a concept designed solely for the stage. Tesla showed the Roadster accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour in just one second.

“It literally is just going to puff itself up,” Musk said, describing how the vehicle would perform its unusual maneuvers.

Three Roadster Trims, Including a Rocket-Powered Version

Tesla plans to begin building the long-delayed sports car in 2028. Although the company has not announced its official pricing, it has outlined three different versions of the vehicle, each targeting a different level of performance.

The Performance trim is designed to be road-ready. It seats two people and includes active aerodynamics and what Tesla calls a multi-mode suction system for improved performance on and off the track.

The Thrust version is aimed at racing enthusiasts. It also seats two and features rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters that Tesla says will enable acceleration from zero to 60 mph in less than one second.

At the top of the lineup is the Rocket trim, an invite-only model designed for one occupant. It features 10 cold-gas thrusters positioned around the vehicle, allowing it to perform the more extreme maneuvers demonstrated at the event.

Tesla says all three versions will offer a driving range of 300 miles and top speeds exceeding 230 mph.

Reservations are already available through Tesla’s website. The company is asking for $50,000 to reserve the Performance version and $250,000 for the Thrust model. The Rocket edition is being offered by invitation only.

SpaceX Technology Brings Thrusters to the Road

The Roadster’s most unusual feature is its thruster system, which borrows technology and engineering ideas from Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX.

Tesla engineering vice president Lars Moravy explained that the vehicle uses 10 thrusters connected to 600 liters of compressed air to lift and rotate itself in midair. According to Moravy, the air tank can be recharged.

Tesla also revealed that the car’s available internal space is packed with Carbon Fiber Overwrapped Pressure Vessels, or COPVs, which are designed to store compressed gas under pressure.

The technology has an important aerospace connection. COPVs have been associated with several SpaceX rocket explosions, making their use in a road vehicle particularly noteworthy.

The company’s ambitious plans go beyond the launch demonstration. Musk said Tesla might even attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon, the location of daredevil Evel Knievel’s famous attempt to cross the gorge using a steam-powered rocket.

However, the extreme performance claims raise questions about how the vehicle will operate in everyday conditions. Musk has previously acknowledged that safety is not the primary objective of the Roadster.

Speaking on a podcast earlier this year, he compared the vehicle to a Ferrari and warned that buyers prioritizing safety should not purchase the Roadster. He said Tesla would nevertheless aspire not to kill anyone in the car.

A Sharper Design Inspired by Fighter Jets

The redesigned Roadster also looks substantially different from the version Tesla showed in 2017.

Finished in stark white, the new model features sharper angles and a more aggressive silhouette. Its styling recalls Lamborghini’s supercars and the iconic Lotus Esprit featured in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. Musk owns that Lotus, which was displayed at the event.

Tesla said its design team drew inspiration from the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft and the F-35 fighter jet.

“Our design language has evolved since the last reveal: from S3XY to Cybertruck, Cybercab & Optimus,” the company wrote in a post on X.

Musk described the vehicle as the result of close collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX engineers, claiming the finished product would be unlike anything seen in movies.

He also acknowledged that the idea initially seemed so ambitious that he questioned whether he was thinking clearly when he proposed it to the team.

Before the unveiling, Musk had promised that the Roadster would look very different from the previously displayed version. He also described the planned demonstration as potentially the most exciting product demo ever, whether it succeeded or failed.

Nearly Nine Years of Delays

The latest unveiling comes almost nine years after Tesla first introduced the second-generation Roadster in 2017.

The original reveal took place unexpectedly at the end of the Tesla Semi presentation. The updated sports car was supposed to reach customers within a few years, and Tesla began accepting $50,000 deposits from reservation holders. Some customers paid $250,000 to secure one of 1,000 planned Founders Series vehicles.

Musk first publicly discussed adding rocket thrusters to the Roadster in 2018. At the time, he said a SpaceX option package would include around 10 small rocket engines arranged around the car to improve acceleration, top speed, braking, and cornering. He even suggested that the system might allow a Tesla to fly.

But the project repeatedly lost priority as the company focused on other vehicles and manufacturing challenges.

In 2018, Tesla struggled with what Musk called “production hell” while ramping up production of the Model 3 sedan. The company subsequently concentrated on projects including the Model Y SUV, which became the world’s best-selling vehicle, and the Cybertruck, which fell short of Tesla’s own commercial expectations.

The Roadster’s timeline slipped repeatedly, with Musk announcing delays in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024.

Late last year, Musk told Joe Rogan that he wanted to unveil the vehicle by the end of 2025. A week later, during a shareholder meeting where he received a $1 trillion pay package, he moved the planned unveiling to April 1, 2026.

Musk joked that an April Fools’ Day event would give him an excuse if Tesla postponed it again, saying he could claim he had been kidding. The company ultimately delayed the presentation once more. Another attempt to hold the event on October 1 was postponed because of severe weather.

Skepticism Remains Despite the Spectacle

The repeated postponements have frustrated some high-profile reservation holders and observers, including YouTuber Marques Brownlee and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Brownlee reacted skeptically to Thursday’s presentation, questioning the claims about the vehicle’s capabilities and delivery schedule.

He pointed out that Tesla had presented a redesigned car weighing more than 4,000 pounds that could perform flips and supposedly travel at more than 380 mph, while still promising delivery in 2028. He jokingly asked whether the entire presentation was a prank.

For Tesla, the Roadster appears to serve a purpose beyond generating direct sales. Musk has previously said he was unsure whether the vehicle would significantly increase company revenue, positioning it instead as a showcase of what Tesla and SpaceX engineers can accomplish together.

The central question now is whether Tesla can turn its extraordinary demonstration into a production vehicle that meets its performance claims and reaches customers on schedule.

With reservations open and 2028 targeted for production, the redesigned Roadster has once again captured attention. But after years of delays, ambitious promises, and changing timelines, customers will likely be watching for more than another spectacular demonstration: they will want to see the car delivered.

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