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Tesla presented the second-generation Roadster at its SpaceX rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas, where the vehicle climbed a curved ramp until upside down, clung to the surface via a suction fan system and then launched off to perform a 180-degree flip before landing with cold-gas thrusters. The demonstration also featured the car using the thrusters to jump over a line of other Tesla vehicles including a Semi truck and to lift off from a stationary position. Reports from The Guardian and Business Insider confirmed the prototype was controlled remotely during the tests to eliminate risk to any driver.
The vehicle relies on ultra-high-pressure air tanks that can be recharged by compression without fuel, according to Tesla, while also delivering a battery range of more than 300 miles and a top speed above 230 mph in its highest specification. Three variants appeared on Tesla’s reservation site following the event, including a Performance model, a Thrust version with extra acceleration boosters and an invite-only Rocket single-seater equipped with a full flight system. Production is targeted for 2028, Tesla executives stated at the livestreamed presentation.
Elon Musk told the audience that the collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX had delivered a car where “flying cars are real” with “altitude controls, thrusters and main thrusters in the rear” so it “can basically fly like a rocket” and “do rolls, crazy gymnastics.” Musk added that “I’m not sure it’s necessarily legal in all jurisdictions” and described the prototype as “not necessarily a safety optimised car but it takes the fun meter to 11.” In a subsequent post on X, Musk wrote that “Turns out the future does have flying cars.”
A WIRED assessment noted that any machine leaving the ground falls under Federal Aviation Administration jurisdiction, introducing a thicket of regulatory approvals before the Roadster could be used beyond closed demonstrations. CNN reported an aviation expert viewing the short hops and controlled landings as closer to hopping than true sustained flight. CBS News pointed to the long history of technical and regulatory barriers that have prevented the flying-car sector from advancing despite periodic hype.
The Roadster project was first shown in 2017 with an original promise of customer deliveries beginning in 2020, yet the timeline has slipped repeatedly. Tesla vice president of vehicle engineering Lars Moravy said the latest version achieved 0-60 mph in 0.81 seconds during recorded runs, fulfilling an acceleration pledge made years earlier. The Times described the event as blending genuine engineering display with a high-profile publicity exercise designed to renew excitement around the delayed model.
Reservations opened immediately after the unveiling, requiring deposits from $50,000 for the base Performance edition up to $250,000 for the Thrust variant. Tesla’s website explained that the thrusters, adapted from SpaceX technology, support forward, upward and rotational movement while the air system remains self-contained. Multiple outlets including USA Today and Euronews reported the launch has generated widespread online discussion comparing the footage to science-fiction sequences.
