MCGREGOR, TEXAS – After almost a decade of waiting, Tesla has finally unveiled the production version of its next-generation Roadster, and it did so in typically spectacular style. At a livestreamed event at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, the car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in under one second, drove upside down on a curved ramp and used rocket-style thrusters to flip through the air and land.
Tesla says production will begin in 2028.
“Turns out the future does have flying cars.”
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO
A show unlike any other car launch
Rather than a traditional stage presentation, Tesla built its reveal around stunts. In the first demonstration, the Roadster drove up a curved ramp, using a fan-based suction system to stay stuck to the surface until it was fully upside down. It then fired integrated cold-gas thrusters, developed with SpaceX, to launch off the ramp, flip in mid-air and land on its wheels.
In a second demonstration, the Roadster jumped over a line of cars and a semi-truck, flipped and landed on the other side. Tesla also showed the car completing a sub-second 0–60 mph run.
“Flying cars are real.”
Lars Moravy, Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering
The numbers
Musk said certain versions of the new Roadster can reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in under one second, and that top speed will be above 230 mph (370 km/h). If confirmed in production form, that would make it quicker off the line than any road car on sale today.
The secret is the thruster system. Tesla says it generates four to five times the force the tyres can, which is why the car can accelerate faster than any vehicle relying on grip alone. Tesla has not yet released full details of the battery, motors or range.
Three versions, huge deposits
No price was announced at the event, but Tesla’s reservation page reveals the scale of the car’s ambition:
- Performance: $50,000 deposit
- Thrust: $250,000 deposit, with “acceleration thrusters”
- Rocket: An invite-only, single-seat version with a “full flight system”
When the Roadster was first shown in 2017, Tesla quoted a base price of around $200,000. Final prices for each version are expected closer to production.
A long road to production
The new Roadster has had a long and famous journey. Tesla revealed a prototype in November 2017 as a surprise at the launch of its Semi truck, promising deliveries in 2020. Those plans slipped repeatedly as Tesla focused on the Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck, and the Roadster became one of the most anticipated, and most delayed, cars in the industry.
Musk had promised that the final version would be far more extreme than the prototype, hinting for years at a “SpaceX package”. The reveal confirmed that the thrusters are real, though how they will be regulated for use on public roads remains to be seen.
The original Roadster
The Roadster name is where Tesla’s story began. The original Tesla Roadster, launched in 2008, was the company’s first car: a lightweight two-seater that proved electric cars could be fast and desirable. It paved the way for the Model S, and with it the modern electric-car boom. The new Roadster is meant to be the ultimate expression of what Tesla has learned since then.
How do cold-gas thrusters work?
Cold-gas thrusters are among the simplest rocket systems. Instead of burning fuel, they release highly compressed gas through small nozzles, creating thrust in the opposite direction. SpaceX uses similar systems to steer its rockets and spacecraft. On a car, thrusters pointing backwards can add forward push beyond what the tyres can deliver, while thrusters pointing downwards or sideways could, in theory, help the car stick to the road in corners or, as Tesla showed, even lift it off the ground.
The challenge is practicality. Compressed gas has to be stored on board and refilled, and firing powerful jets on a public road raises obvious safety questions for pedestrians and other drivers. That is likely why the most extreme “Rocket” version is invite-only, and why the full thruster functions seem likely to be used mainly on private tracks. Even so, the technology gives the Roadster a party trick that no other car can match.
What it means
For Tesla, the Roadster is a halo car, a way to show off its engineering and generate enormous attention. It also arrives at a time when the company’s sales growth has slowed and rivals, especially from China, are catching up fast. A car that can do things no other road car can do is a powerful reminder of Tesla’s ability to surprise.
In the Gulf, where supercars are part of the culture and buyers love the most extreme machines in the world, the new Roadster is likely to attract huge interest, even if deliveries are still more than a year away.
Tesla Roadster: key facts
- Revealed: 15 October 2026, SpaceX test site, McGregor, Texas
- 0–60 mph: Under 1 second (certain versions)
- Top speed: Over 230 mph (370 km/h)
- Special feature: SpaceX cold-gas thrusters
- Versions: Performance, Thrust, Rocket
- Production: From 2028
Main photo: the next-generation Roadster prototype shown in 2017. Other photos show the original 2008 Roadster and the Model S Plaid; free-to-use images of the production Roadster are not yet available.