Tesla has unveiled its long-awaited next-generation Roadster, showcasing a prototype fitted with SpaceX-developed thruster technology capable of performing extraordinary manoeuvres, including briefly becoming airborne and driving upside down.
The electric sports car was demonstrated at SpaceX’s testing facility in McGregor, Texas, on Thursday, October 15, almost nine years after Tesla first announced the second-generation Roadster.
During the event, the prototype travelled along a specially designed track while upside down before demonstrating aerial manoeuvres using cold-gas thrusters.
Tesla also showed the Roadster jumping over a line of its vehicles, including a Cybertruck and Tesla Semi, before landing back on its wheels.
Tesla claims extraordinary acceleration
Tesla says versions of the new Roadster will be capable of accelerating from 0 to 60mph in under one second.
The company has outlined three configurations — Performance, Thrust and Rocket.
The road-focused Performance model is claimed to reach 60mph in under 1.6 seconds, while the Thrust version adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters and is claimed to complete the sprint in under 0.9 seconds.
The single-seat Rocket version uses thrusters positioned around the vehicle and carries an even more extreme claimed 0-60mph time of under 0.59 seconds. These figures have not been independently verified under standard production-car testing conditions.
SpaceX technology
The thrusters use compressed gas rather than traditional combustion and have been developed using technology from Elon Musk’s SpaceX aerospace business.
Tesla has also developed a fan-based suction system which it says can create enough downforce to hold the vehicle against a surface while upside down.
The technology allows the prototype to perform movements impossible for a conventional road car, but the most extreme Rocket configuration is not approved for public-road use.
Roadster delayed until 2028
Tesla originally revealed the second-generation Roadster in 2017 and initially said production would begin in 2020.
That target was repeatedly delayed.
Elon Musk now says production is expected in 2028, although final production specifications, pricing and delivery schedules remain uncertain.
The new Roadster is expected to have a range of more than 300 miles, while the Rocket version is claimed to have a top speed above 230mph.
Tesla has reopened reservations, but the company has yet to confirm final prices for the different versions.
The demonstration marks the most substantial public showing yet of the Roadster after years of delays, although the capabilities shown at the Texas event remain significantly removed from what motorists will legally be able to use on public roads.
