Nine years after its original unveiling, Tesla has finally shown a radically redesigned Roadster that can drive upside down, accelerate like a rocket, and even perform aerial flips.
The Texas demonstration was undeniably spectacular. But behind Elon Musk’s latest technological extravaganza lie some uncomfortable questions about broken promises, road legality, and whether customers will ever get what they were promised.
Waco, Texas, proved an almost appropriately named location for Tesla’s long-awaited Roadster unveiling on 15 October. The city’s name sounds remarkably similar to the English slang term ‘wacko’.
And what Musk demonstrated at the nearby SpaceX facilities certainly was ‘crazy’ and stretched conventional ideas of what a car should be capable of.
Driving upside down
Using powerful suction fans and compressed-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX expertise, the electric sports car drove upside down along a specially constructed ramp, performed an aerial maneuver and landed on its wheels. Another demonstration saw it leap over a row of Tesla vehicles.
Crucially, these spectacular maneuvers were performed without a driver on board. While Tesla demonstrated what its prototype can do under controlled conditions, it has yet to prove that a production Roadster carrying human occupants could safely reproduce these stunts.
Impressive engineering, certainly. But how much of it belongs on a road-going production car rather than in a science-fiction film?
Three versions, three different realities
Tesla now envisages three Roadster variants. The two-seat Performance model promises acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/hour) in under 1.6 seconds, using active aerodynamics and a suction system to generate extraordinary downforce.
The Thrust version adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters, supposedly reducing that time to under 0.9 seconds. An even more extreme, single-seat Rocket version promises under 0.59 seconds, with additional thrusters that let the car lift and rotate in mid-air.
That last figure implies average acceleration exceeding 4.6 times the force of gravity. Whether ordinary drivers could comfortably withstand such forces, and whether the performance is repeatable, remain unanswered questions.
None of these figures has been independently verified on a production vehicle. Tesla quotes a range exceeding 300 miles (483 km), but has revealed neither battery capacity nor charging performance.
Nine years of moving targets
Tesla originally announced the new Roadster in November 2017, with production promised for 2020. Back then, Musk advertised a four-seat electric supercar capable of traveling 620 miles (998 km) on a charge, powered by a massive 200 kWh battery.
Almost a decade later, the promised range has nearly halved, the rear seats have disappeared, and the production target has moved to 2028. Even that date comes with little reassurance after successive postponements.
Ironically, one Roadster has already made it into space. In February 2018, Musk launched his personal, first-generation Tesla Roadster aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, complete with a spacesuited mannequin nicknamed ‘Starman’ behind the wheel.
The car has been orbiting the Sun ever since. Almost nine years later, the second-generation Roadster still hasn’t reached customers on Earth.
Prices remain undisclosed, although Tesla is again accepting reservations for the Performance version, which require a $50,000 deposit. Customers who reserved the original Roadster years ago may reasonably wonder whether they will ever receive the vehicle they expected.
Meanwhile, Musk has acknowledged that the Roadster is unlikely to contribute significantly to Tesla’s revenue. Its principal purpose appears to be demonstrating technological prowess rather than generating sales.
Not entirely unprecedented
Tesla deserves credit for combining several extraordinary technologies, but it did not invent suction-powered downforce.
Britain’s McMurtry Automotive demonstrated its electric Spéirling hypercar driving upside down in April 2025, using fans capable of generating approximately 2,000 kg of downforce. Unlike Tesla’s aerial display, that demonstration involved a driver aboard the vehicle.
Croatian manufacturer Rimac has meanwhile established independently verified electric performance benchmarks. Its Nevera R accelerated to 60 mph in 1.66 seconds and reached 431.45 km/hour, faster than the top speed Tesla currently claims for its Rocket Roadster.
The crucial distinction is that Rimac’s figures have been independently measured, whereas Tesla’s remain largely manufacturer claims.
Could Europe ever approve it?
For European customers, the most fundamental question is whether the Roadster’s spectacular capabilities could ever obtain regulatory approval.
The conventional Performance version might eventually satisfy European type-approval requirements. But powerful gas thrusters raise entirely different safety concerns, from pedestrian protection and high-pressure storage vessels to unpredictable vehicle behavior and accident liability.
Even the suction system raises practical questions. How would it cope with loose gravel, standing water, damaged road surfaces, or debris? And how would insurers assess a vehicle capable of maneuvers more commonly associated with aircraft?
Not everyone will be able to buy the Roadster demonstrated in Texas. While the conventional Performance version is open for reservations and intended for public roads, the more extreme Thrust version will be produced in limited numbers, with its road-legal status still uncertain.
The flying, single-seat Rocket version is strictly invitation-only and explicitly not approved for public roads. Even with the money, access is not guaranteed. Whether either thruster-equipped version could ever obtain European homologation remains an open question.
No concrete European launch schedule, homologation program, or pricing has been announced.
Tesla’s last driver’s car?
Perhaps the greatest irony is that Musk describes the Roadster as one of Tesla’s last great human-driven cars, while simultaneously positioning the company as an artificial-intelligence and robotics business increasingly focused on self-driving vehicles.
The Roadster may therefore become a technological halo car, designed to restore some of Tesla’s reputation for innovation as competition intensifies in the mainstream electric vehicle market.
Yet impressive demonstrations do not automatically translate into viable products. Tesla still needs to demonstrate independent performance measurements, roadworthiness, commercial feasibility, and credible delivery commitments.
The new Roadster undoubtedly pushes engineering boundaries. But nine years after customers first placed their deposits, the more relevant question is no longer whether Tesla can make a car fly for a few seconds. It is whether it can finally deliver one that customers can actually drive.
