Tesla Finally Unveils the Next-Generation Roadster, and It Can Fly

Tesla Finally Unveils the Next-Generation Roadster, and It Can Fly
Tesla Finally Unveils the Next-Generation Roadster, and It Can Fly
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Tesla’s new Roadster flew over a row of five Tesla vehicles using SpaceX thrusters and won’t land until 2028.

Tesla revealed the redesigned second-generation Roadster on Thursday evening, October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas. However, CEO Elon Musk said the car will enter production in 2028 and didn’t announce a final price.

The event took place almost nine years after Tesla first showed the car in November 2017. At that time, Tesla said deliveries would begin in 2020.

What Tesla showed at the event

Tesla streamed the event on X. Earlier that day, Musk wrote on X that the new Roadster is beyond movies and beyond imagination.

In the main demonstration, the Roadster drove up a curved ramp and stopped at the point where the ramp was perpendicular to the ground. Tesla says a multi-mode fan and suction system pulls air from beneath the car to create downforce, which can hold the car upside down even when it is stationary. The car then left the top of the ramp, flipped in the air, and landed with its thrusters.

Later, the Roadster used its thrusters to lift itself over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3 while moving. An Optimus robot sat in the driver’s seat the whole time, and the stunts were programmed into the vehicle.

Performance and specifications

Tesla and Musk gave these figures at the event:

  • 0 to 60 mph: Tesla recorded 0.81 seconds during a test at the event. Musk said the company expects to improve on that result.
  • Top speed: Tesla lists more than 230 mph for all three versions.
  • Range: Tesla lists about 300 miles for all three versions.
  • Thrusters: Tesla engineering vice president Lars Moravy said the Roadster uses 10 thrusters connected to 600 liters of compressed air. The tank can be recharged.

Three versions and reservations

Tesla will offer the Roadster in three versions:

  1. Performance: two seats, active aerodynamics and the suction system, without thrusters.
  2. Thrust: two seats and rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters. Tesla says this version can reach 60 mph in under one second.
  3. Rocket: one seat and 10 cold-gas thrusters placed around the car. This version is invite-only, and Benzinga reports it is not currently approved for public roads.

Tesla’s website is taking reservations. The Performance version requires $50,000, with $5,000 upfront and $45,000 within 10 days. The Thrust version requires $250,000. These are reservation payments, not final prices, and Tesla has not announced a final price for any version.

Tesla said the design drew inspiration from the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft and the F-35 fighter jet. The body is more angular than the 2017 prototype. Benzinga reports that Tesla also described a redesigned steer-by-wire system with a steering yoke.

The long road to the reveal

Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 at the end of its Semi truck event. It claimed a 620-mile range and a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, and said deliveries would begin in 2020. Customers could reserve a car with a $50,000 deposit, and some paid $250,000 for one of 1,000 Founders Series cars.

Musk later delayed the car in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024. The new versions list about 300 miles of range, compared with the 620 miles claimed in 2017.

On September 12, Tesla announced an October 1 event on X, and Musk confirmed the date. Tesla later moved the event to October 15 because of weather conditions at the demo site.

What comes next

At the event, Musk said Tesla will build the Roadster in 2028. He has called it “the best of the last of the human-driven cars.” He also said the car is not necessarily optimized for safety.

Tesla has not announced a final price, and reservations are open on Tesla’s website.

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Tesla Finally Unveils the Next-Generation Roadster, and It Can Fly