Elon Musk has unveiled what he calls a 'flying' car. Tesla revealed its redesigned Roadster this week at SpaceX's rocket testing facility in Texas, and it is unlike anything the company has ever shown.
Developed in collaboration with SpaceX, the two-seater sports car is equipped with 10 thruster nozzles and ultrahigh-pressure air tanks. During the livestreamed demo, the car launched off a steep steel ramp, performed a full barrel roll in midair, drove upside down along the ramp using a suction system, and jumped clean over a row of vehicles before landing on its wheels. There was no driver onboard, which Musk joked was 'to make sure we don't kill anyone.'
'Flying cars are real,' Musk said on stage. 'It can basically fly like a rocket.'
The headline numbers Tesla is claiming:
- 0 to 60 mph: Under one second
- Top speed: Over 230 mph
- Range: Approximately 300 miles
- Production: Targeted for 2028
Tesla is offering three configurations. The Performance trim requires a $50,000 reservation payment, the Thrust version requires $250,000, and the Rocket configuration with the full flight system is invite-only. Final purchase prices have not been announced, and Tesla notes the flying model is not approved for use on public roads.
The unveiling comes nearly nine years after Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster in 2017, originally targeting production in 2020. Musk has described the car as Tesla's new halo car, though he also called it the last Tesla vehicle that will require a human driver, as the company shifts focus toward autonomy and robotics.
Musk himself kept expectations grounded in his own way: the project's 'success is not guaranteed,' he admitted, 'but it will probably work.' The Nerd's List will be tracking this one all the way to 2028.
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