Tesla Roadster Reveal: Sub-1-Second Thruster Car Is Back
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Tesla Roadster Reveal: Sub-1-Second Thruster Car Is Back
Tesla's second-gen Roadster just drove upside down, flipped on SpaceX thrusters, and — Tesla claims — hit 60 mph in under a second. Production? 2028.
What Happened in Texas
Nearly nine years after Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster in 2017, a redesigned prototype finally took the stage on Thursday, Oct. 15 (overnight into Oct. 16) at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas.
The white two-seater climbed a curved ramp and hung upside down, leapt over a line of Tesla vehicles, spun in mid-air, and landed under control. Nobody was inside — Tesla ran the stunts autonomously for safety, with Elon Musk warning the crowd beforehand that "success is not guaranteed."
The Wild Tech: Suction Plus Cold-Gas Thrusters
Two SpaceX-flavored systems did the heavy lifting. A fan-driven suction system pulls the car down for grip, while cold-gas thrusters use compressed air to push, lift, and rotate it.
| System | What Tesla Showed |
|---|---|
| Suction / fan system | Held the Roadster to the ramp — even upside down — and is pitched as extra downforce and cornering grip on normal roads |
| SpaceX cold-gas thrusters | 10 nozzles firing compressed air to launch, flip, and land the car during the demonstration |
Tesla has not said which of these features will be legal on public roads — and an invite-only Rocket variant is explicitly listed as not approved for road use.
Tesla's Claims vs. What Was Tested
Engineering chief Lars Moravy said the Tesla Roadster can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under one second and reach a top speed above 230 mph. A stage run was timed at 0.81 seconds on Tesla's own timer.
Read those numbers exactly as labeled: they are Tesla's claims from a demonstration, not independently tested results. No outside outlet has verified the sprint, the top speed, or a final range figure — Tesla gave no battery or range specs at the event.
For context on what Teslas actually do day to day, see how Tesla FSD cameras see the road — and remember FSD and Autopilot remain driver-supervised systems.
No Price Yet: Deposits, Trims, and the 2028 Wait
Tesla announced NO vehicle price at the reveal. What the reservation page lists are deposits, not prices: $50,000 to reserve the Performance version and $250,000 for the Thrust version. A third Rocket version is invite-only.
- Performance: $50,000 deposit — the road-ready two-seater
- Thrust: $250,000 deposit — adds the thruster package
- Rocket: invite-only, single seat, not approved for public roads
- Production: Tesla puts the start in 2028 — eight years after the 2020 date promised in 2017
That long wait is familiar territory. Our look at Tesla's Q3 deliveries of 486,532 cars shows where the company's real volume lives today, while owners wait on halo cars like this one.
The Bottom Line
- The redesigned Roadster is real as a prototype — it drove, stuck, flipped, and landed in Texas.
- Sub-1-second 0–60 and 230+ mph are Tesla claims, not tested facts.
- No price was announced; $50,000 and $250,000 are deposits only.
- Production is slated for 2028, so today's owners still live with cars like those in our battery health guide and hidden features roundup.
Would you put down a $50,000 deposit today for a Roadster that Tesla says won't be built until 2028 — or is the stunt enough?
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