Tesla’s new Roadster is finally real, and the most extreme version of it really does leave the ground. On 15 October, at a SpaceX test site near Waco, Texas, Tesla showed a white two-seater that drove up a ramp, hung upside down, then used compressed-air thrusters to hop over a row of its own cars. It is nearly nine years since the first Roadster prototype appeared, and the car that showed up is very different from the one Tesla promised.
What happened at the Tesla Roadster reveal?
The livestreamed demo was pure theatre. With nobody inside, the Roadster drove up a curved ramp, clung to it upside down using fans that suck it onto the surface, then used its thrusters to lift off, spin around and ease back down. In another run it hopped over a Cybercab, a Cybertruck, a Tesla Semi, a Model Y and a Model 3, as TechCrunch describes it. Musk said the car ran empty “to make sure we don’t kill anyone.”
That clip is Tesla’s own. If you have 23 minutes, the full Roadster reveal is on Tesla’s YouTube channel too.
How much of it counts as flying is up for debate. Electrek reported the stunts were closer to short hovers and hops than real flight, and that the car was operated remotely. Tesla’s own page is less shy about it: for the top version it says, “So yes, it can fly.” The event itself came two weeks late, after an October 1 date was scrapped because of severe weather.
How does a Tesla Roadster fly?
Two systems do the work. The first is what Tesla calls a multi-mode fan and ground-sealing system: powered fans pull air out from under the car, creating enough suction to hold it upside down even when it is standing still. On the road, the same trick adds grip in corners.
The second is a set of cold-gas thrusters, small jets of compressed gas fired by electric actuators that can make tiny adjustments in a fraction of a second. Tesla engineering VP Lars Moravy said the flying version has 10 thrusters fed by 600 litres of compressed air, and that the tank can be refilled. Tesla says it has packed carbon-fibre gas tanks into every spare space, because more gas means more time in the air. Think of it less as a flying car and more as a very fast car that can jump.
Tesla Roadster versions: Performance, Thrust and Rocket
Tesla sells it as one car with two optional upgrades, which it calls augments.
| Version | Seats | What it gets | Availability |
| Performance | 2 | Active aerodynamics and the suction fan system; road legal | By reservation |
| Thrust | 2 | Adds rear cold-gas thrusters for 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in under a second | Limited release |
| Rocket | 1 | Thrusters all around the car for lift and rotation; not approved for public roads | Invite only |
At the event Tesla quoted a range of over 300 miles (about 480 km) and a top speed of over 230 mph (about 370 km/h). Both are claims until independent tests happen, and some numbers shown on stage vary between reports.
What Tesla promised in 2017, and what it delivered
The original 2017 pitch was a four-seat supercar with a huge battery. The 2026 car trades some of that for stunts.
| Promise | 2017 Roadster | 2026 Roadster |
| Range | 620 miles (about 1,000 km) | Over 300 miles (about 480 km) |
| Top speed | Over 250 mph (about 400 km/h) | Over 230 mph (about 370 km/h) |
| 0 to 60 mph | 1.9 seconds | Under a second with Thrust |
| Seats | 4 (2+2) | 2, or 1 in the Rocket |
| Production | 2020 | 2028, Musk says |
Design and cabin
The 2017 car’s soft curves are gone. The new Roadster is sharp and angular, closer to the Cybertruck and Cybercab, and Tesla says the SR-71 spy plane and the F-35 fighter inspired it. The headlights hide away, a single taillight runs the full width, and the Ano White paint takes its cue from the coatings that protect rockets. The windows have a gold tint meant to look like a spacesuit visor.
Inside, everything is about saving weight. There is a yoke for the steer-by-wire system, a centre touchscreen with two small displays ahead of the driver, manual controls and a fixed seat position, with magnesium, titanium and carbon fibre throughout. A Track Mode lowers the car and changes the suspension, with high-downforce and low-drag settings to pick from.
Price, reservations and when you can buy one
Tesla did not announce a price for any version. Reservations are open again on its website for a total of $50,000, the same as in 2017: $5,000 up front, with the remaining $45,000 due within 10 days, according to Electrek. Musk says production starts in 2028. He was also refreshingly blunt about who should buy one: “If safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster.”
Will the Tesla Roadster come to India?
Tesla has not said anything about the Roadster for India, and the flying Rocket version is not approved for public roads anywhere yet. For now, Tesla’s only car on sale here is the Model Y, which starts at ₹50.89 lakh ex-showroom, and by The Spec’d’s numbers comes to about ₹53.11 lakh on-road in Mumbai. If you want something electric and fast that you can actually buy today, our list of electric cars on sale in India is a better place to start.
Our take
Nine years late, Tesla turned the Roadster into the most outrageous car launch in years. The hover and hop are real, the numbers are smaller than first promised, and the car you could actually drive to work is the plainest of the three. Whether it changes how anyone gets around is doubtful. Whether people will talk about it for months is not.
Frequently asked questions
Can the new Tesla Roadster really fly?
The top Rocket version uses cold-gas thrusters to lift off, hover and hop over obstacles. Reports describe short hops rather than sustained flight, and it is not approved for public roads.
How much does the Tesla Roadster cost?
Tesla has not announced prices. A reservation costs $50,000 in total, with $5,000 paid up front.
When will the Tesla Roadster go on sale?
Musk says production will begin in 2028. Tesla has not announced an India launch.
