Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled the long-awaited second-generation Tesla Roadster, showcasing a sports car prototype capable of brief aerial maneuvers and record-breaking acceleration through SpaceX-developed rocket thruster technology.
During a live demonstration at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, an uncrewed, remote-operated Roadster prototype drove up an arched ramp before deploying high-pressure air thrusters to perform a mid-air turn and land safely.
In a secondary demonstration, the vehicle utilized its thrusters to leap over a row of parked vehicles. According to Tesla, the vehicle achieves 0 to 60 mph acceleration in 0.81 seconds and reaches a top speed exceeding 230 mph.
The performance is driven by 10 specialized compressed-air cold-gas nozzles powered by ultra-high-pressure tanks developed in collaboration with SpaceX. “Well, it worked. Flying cars are real,”
Musk told the audience following the demonstration, describing the project as the result of a direct engineering collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX. The interior of the two-seater vehicle features a jet-inspired cockpit and an active rear wing.
Tesla expects the production model—projected for release in 2028 with an estimated starting price of $200,000—to be fully street-legal and drivable on public roads.