Tesla unveiled its long-awaited Roadster on Thursday with a dramatic event that resembled a science-fiction showcase more than a traditional car launch. The vehicle used compressed-air thrusters to launch off a ramp and perform a maneuver in midair.
In one demonstration, the Roadster was shown flying, completing a midair flip and accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in under a second.
“Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said at SpaceX’s test site in McGregor, Texas. Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, added, “Flying cars are real.”
The event featured the new Roadster speeding up a large curved ramp while a fan-based suction system helped keep it attached until the car was completely upside down. It then used integrated cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX to launch off the ramp, flip in midair and land safely. In a second demonstration, the Roadster jumped over a lineup of cars and a semi-truck, performed a midair flip and landed safely on the other side.
Musk said certain versions of the Roadster can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than one second and reach a top speed above 230 mph. During the event, Tesla also demonstrated a Roadster reaching 60 mph in under a second.
On X, Tesla explained the physics behind the performance: “Every car on the road today is limited by one thing: tire grip. Roadster’s thruster system generates 4–5x the force the tires can. More force on the same mass means significantly better acceleration – physics does the rest.”
Nearly a decade after the Roadster’s initial concept debut in 2017, the vehicle left audiences amazed with a gravity-defying demonstration that used SpaceX rocket technology.
“Today, Roadster presents a new moment in history – the best of the last human-driven cars,” Tesla wrote on X.
Tesla executives announced at Thursday’s event that production would begin in 2028. Musk and other executives did not disclose pricing, but nearly ten years ago the company quoted a base price of $200,000.
After the event, Tesla’s reservation page listed a $50,000 reservation payment for the “Performance” version and a $250,000 payment for the “Thrust” version, which features “acceleration thrusters.” An invite-only “Rocket” variant is a single-seat model with a “full flight system.”
When Tesla revealed a prototype of the car in 2017, it said deliveries would begin in 2020.