Tesla introduced the new Roadster with a sequence of stunts that went far beyond a typical product launch. It drove up a vertical ramp before transitioning onto a horizontal section, repeated the maneuver, then launched off the ramp and used thrusters to flip over and land under control. It followed that with a barrel roll over Tesla’s other vehicles before landing safely again. Tesla then claimed the Roadster accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds. The spectacle was impressive, but it also raised plenty of questions.
Nearly a decade has passed since Tesla first revealed the Roadster. For this latest model, the company is simply using the name Roadster—rather than Roadster 2.0 or CyberRoadster—as though it were a direct successor to the original Tesla.
The design is substantially different from the car shown in 2017. Instead of the earlier model’s rounded sports-car shape, the new Roadster has a much more angular appearance. It looks like the result of combining a Cybertruck with a Lamborghini Reventon, though there is still far more to examine beyond its styling. The numbers are where the story becomes especially interesting.
Starting with the less dramatic details, Tesla says the Roadster will use steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, and throttle-by-wire systems. The brakes are expected to use Brembo’s Sensify technology, while the steering and throttle systems appear to be related to those used in the Cybertruck. A rear spoiler can continuously adjust downforce according to real-time driving conditions and offers both high- and low-downforce modes. Tesla also previously discussed the car’s suction fans.
Cars capable of generating suction are not entirely new. The McMurtry Sperling became the first car to drive upside down more than a year ago. What Tesla demonstrated was different: the Roadster could perform that kind of maneuver, leave the ramp, rotate in mid-air, and land smoothly. Tesla attributes those capabilities to its collaboration with SpaceX.
Fans beneath the vehicle can generate as much as 2Gs of downforce while the Roadster is stationary. Ten cold-gas thrusters then allow it to maneuver through the air. They draw ultra-high-pressure air from two onboard tanks, each with a 600-liter capacity. Elon Musk said the system uses ordinary atmospheric air, allowing the car to refill the tanks while being driven.
The same thrusters apparently allow the Roadster to rocket from 0 to 60 mph in less than a second. Tesla said the demonstration car completed the run in 0.81 seconds. However, the vehicle shown was apparently another concept rather than a production model, and production is not expected to begin until 2028. Speakers repeatedly emphasized that the car would happen “for real” and “actually,” apparently acknowledging how disappointing that wait may be for fans.
The demonstration was undeniably spectacular, but Tesla still has not answered many basic questions about a car it has now shown twice across almost a decade. The company did not disclose its range, horsepower, motor layout, driven wheels—although all-wheel drive seems highly likely—battery capacity, factory location, production volume, launch markets, or the broader schedule leading to production.
Tesla’s website lists three versions: Performance, Thrust, and Rocket. The Performance model requires a $50,000 deposit. The Thrust, which is specified as the version capable of the claimed sub-one-second 0-to-60-mph time, costs $250,000. The Rocket is a single-seat version with the ability to fly and is available by invitation only.
Tesla also provided no details about current reservation holders, when customers will be able to configure their cars, or how order positions will be managed. It remains unclear what will happen to customers who reserved the previous Roadster.
The launch delivered an extraordinary demonstration, with several achievements that are difficult to dismiss as mere showmanship. Still, staging an impressive event and delivering a finished car to a customer are very different challenges. After almost nine years, the Roadster’s least boring trick would be arriving on its newly announced timeline.
Tesla’s new Roadster combines a claimed 0.81-second 0-to-60-mph run with suction fans and SpaceX-linked thrusters capable of aerial maneuvers. However, the car remains a concept, with production now scheduled for 2028 and many essential specifications still undisclosed. Three trims are planned, including the $250,000 Thrust and invite-only, single-seat Rocket, leaving reservation holders with more questions than answers.
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