This is the headline-grabber. Tesla has finally shown its long-delayed next-generation Roadster, and the demonstration was much more dramatic than a conventional sports-car launch.
At an event at a SpaceX test facility near Waco, Texas, the Roadster drove up a steep, curved ramp. The ramp took it upside down, where a suction system helped hold it against the surface. It then launched off the end, rotated in mid-air and landed back on its wheels. In another demonstration, it appeared to leap over a line of Tesla vehicles.
That is a very different reveal from showing a car accelerating around a racetrack.
How can a car actually do that?
The Roadster shown at the event combines two unusual technologies:
- A suction system: Fans underneath the vehicle help it cling to the inverted ramp.
- SpaceX-inspired thrusters: Gas-powered thrusters provide short bursts of thrust, helping the car lift, rotate and perform its airborne manoeuvres.
Think of it as a high-performance electric car with a rocket-inspired stunt system. It is not, based on the demonstration, a conventional flying car that can cruise through the sky like an aeroplane.
The performance claims are wild
Tesla presented the Roadster as capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph (about 97 km/h) in under one second. Reports also describe a top speed above 230 mph (about 370 km/h) for the Rocket configuration. Those are extraordinary claims, and real-world performance will need to be judged against production vehicles and independent testing.
Tesla is targeting production in 2028, although the schedule, final pricing and practical availability remain uncertain. The Rocket version — the one associated with the full thruster system — has been described as invite-only and is not a normal road-legal car.
So, is this the beginning of flying cars? Not quite. It is a demonstration of a vehicle performing short, controlled airborne stunts, not proof that you’ll soon be hovering over a traffic jam on your way to work.
Still, the spectacle matters. It shows how aerospace technology could spill into consumer vehicles — and how Tesla is trying to make its sports car feel unlike anything else on the road.
Sources: TechCrunch’s report, The Guardian’s coverage, and Euronews’ report and demonstration details.
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