Tesla reveals new Roadster: a mid-air flip, SpaceX thrusters and 2028 production

Tesla has revealed its new Roadster. The show took place on October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX test site in McGregor near Waco, Texas. The car drove off a ramp, flipped in the air and drifted gently to the ground using compressed-air thrusters. According to Tesla, the thruster versions go from 0 to 60 mph in under one second. The base version needs under 1.6 seconds. Elon Musk said production will start in 2028. No price for the car was announced.

A ramp, a flip and a hover

A white Roadster drove up a curved, C-shaped ramp. It stopped there upside down. Then it jumped off the ramp, flipped in mid-air and slowly hovered down to the ground. According to TechCrunch, the car also lifted itself over a Cybercab, a Cybertruck, a Semi truck, a Model Y and a Model 3. Engadget reports that the stunts were pre-programmed and that an Optimus robot sat in the driver's seat.

The car stays on the ramp upside down thanks to a suction system that pulls air from under the car. Tesla describes it as fans that press the vehicle to the surface. Flight and landing rely on cold-gas thrusters, a technology borrowed from SpaceX. TechCrunch says the thrusters are connected to 600 liters of compressed air that can be refilled.

Performance, according to Tesla

According to Tesla, all versions will reach over 230 mph and drive 300 miles on one charge. According to Tesla, the Thrust version reaches 60 mph in under 0.9 seconds and the Rocket version in under 0.59 seconds. The base Performance version needs under 1.6 seconds. The car uses steer-by-wire and a yoke instead of a regular steering wheel. It will not have Tesla's FSD self-driving system. Musk called it "the best of the last of the human-driven cars."

Reservations and versions

Tesla is taking reservations in the U.S., Canada and China. The base Performance version requires $50,000. Buyers pay $5,000 first and the rest within 10 days. The Thrust version, with rear thrusters and the suction system, requires a $250,000 reservation. That is the reservation amount, not the price of the car. The Rocket version, with 10 thrusters around the body, is invite-only.

Nine years of waiting

Tesla first announced the new Roadster in November 2017. It started taking $50,000 deposits at that time. A year later, Musk wrote that a SpaceX package would include about 10 small rocket thrusters. The launch was pushed back many times. An event planned for October 1, 2026, was postponed due to bad weather. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was among those who publicly complained about the delays. He later got his deposit back.

Sources

Article prepared with the help of artificial intelligence based on: TechCrunch, CNBC and Engadget. The Wiadomości PRO newsroom is responsible for this publication.