Tesla demonstrates airborne Roadster at Texas event, targets 2028 production

Tesla demonstrated a new Roadster capable of brief airborne maneuvers during an October 15 livestream from SpaceX's testing facility in McGregor, Texas. The demonstration included a ramp climb and an aerial flip before the vehicle landed. Musk presented the project as a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX engineers.

Tesla executives said the two-seat sports car combines underbody suction fans with thrusters powered by compressed air. The fans increase grip, while the thrusters provide additional propulsion. During the presentation, Tesla displayed a zero-to-60-mph time of 0.81 seconds, a company demonstration result rather than an independently verified performance figure.

The project brings SpaceX propulsion technology into a vehicle intended for human drivers. Musk said he expects the Roadster eventually to become Tesla's sole manually driven model. He also acknowledged uncertainty about where the vehicle would be legal.

Musk set 2028 as the planned production year. Tesla's product page says the Rocket configuration will have regional availability restrictions and describes the Thrust upgrade as optional, making configuration and location important limits on the capabilities customers can obtain.