Tesla Shows a Thruster-Equipped Roadster Nine Years After Its First Preview

Tesla unveiled its long-delayed next-generation Roadster on Thursday night at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, in a livestreamed presentation built around stunts more often associated with rockets than sports cars.

In the first demonstration, the two-seat electric car drove up a steep curved ramp, using a fan-driven suction system on its underside to stay attached as it turned upside down, then fired cold-gas thrusters to launch off the end, flip in midair and land, according to Fox Business and Euronews. In a second run it jumped over a row of Tesla vehicles. Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, said the thruster technology was borrowed from SpaceX, the rocket company he also leads.

Tesla claims that some versions can reach 60 miles per hour in under one second, exceed 230 miles per hour and travel more than 300 miles on a charge. None of those figures has been independently tested. The company is offering three variants: a road-going Performance model, a Thrust model with acceleration thrusters, and a single-seat Rocket version available by invitation only. Fox Business reported that reservations require a $50,000 deposit for the Performance model and $250,000 for the Thrust model. No final prices were announced.

Executives said production would begin in 2028. The timeline is a sore point. Tesla first showed a Roadster prototype in 2017 and promised deliveries starting in 2020, and the car has slipped repeatedly since, both outlets noted.

Tesla’s argument is that tire grip is now the main limit on how fast a car can accelerate, and that thrusters offer a way past it. In a post on X, the company described the Roadster as among the last great human-driven cars, a pitch aimed at wealthy enthusiasts at a time when Tesla’s broader strategy leans heavily on self-driving software and robots.

Analysts quoted by Euronews were unimpressed by the business case. Mamta Valechha, an analyst at Quilter Cheviot, called it a headline-grabbing engineering moment designed to generate excitement around the brand, and Rico Luman, an economist at ING, described it as a publicity stunt that emphasizes Tesla’s image as an innovative company. Valechha said flying or thruster-assisted features were unlikely to be economically viable for higher-volume cars because of cost, complexity and regulation.

Regulators have not signed off on any of it. The thruster features are not approved for public roads, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency told Euronews that any vehicle intended to operate as an aircraft would need to meet the applicable aviation safety requirements, which Euronews noted could include pilot qualifications for the driver.

The event also fed speculation about closer ties between Tesla and SpaceX. Euronews reported that a Barclays analyst, as cited by Barron’s, suggested a merger announcement could come before Tesla’s next annual shareholder meeting, though nothing has been confirmed.