After nearly nine years of delays, Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at a livestreamed event held at SpaceX's test facility near Waco, Texas. The reveal had been planned for 1 October, but Tesla pushed it back two weeks because of weather at the outdoor demonstration site.

The Roadster was first shown in November 2017, when Tesla promised deliveries in 2020 and a 0–60 mph time of 1.9 seconds. The timeline has slipped repeatedly since, and the car became a running joke among enthusiasts. This is the first time it has been shown in public in what appears to be near-final form.

What was shown

The headline moment was a stunt. The car climbed an inverted, curved ramp, left it upside down, flipped in the air and landed on its wheels, using what appeared to be thrusters on its underside to right itself. In a second run it cleared a row of vehicles, including a Cybertruck, a Tesla Semi, a Model Y and a Model 3, and again used its thrusters to land. Musk's comment after the second run was "Well, it worked."

Tesla's engineering team also described a suction system that presses the car against the ground, which they said produces roughly twice the car's weight in downforce.

Watch the reveal

All three videos below are from Tesla's official YouTube channel and were published on 15 October 2026.

The Ramp | Roadster, first live demo at the Roadster event

The Kickflip | Roadster, second live demo at the Roadster event

Roadster | The Last Best Driver's Car, official product overview

The claims

Tesla shared figures on X after the event: a two-seat car with about 300 miles of range and a top speed above 230 mph. Some of the performance figures depend on the optional SpaceX-derived thruster package, and Tesla quoted a 0–60 mph time of 0.8 seconds for the thruster-equipped version. Tesla had previously promised a sub-two-second run and up to 620 miles of range for the car, so the new figures differ from the original 2017 claims. None of these numbers has been independently tested.

Tesla is offering three configurations: Performance, which uses the suction system for grip; Thrust, which adds thrusters at the rear for acceleration; and Rocket, which places thrusters around the perimeter for forward, upward and lateral movement.

What it does not mean yet

The demonstration showed short jumps and controlled landings, not sustained flight. Before the event, The Information reported that the thruster demonstration would be remotely operated because of the noise and force involved, and Musk has said the car is "not necessarily a safety-optimized car." Reports before the reveal said the thruster-equipped version was not expected to be street legal, and Tesla has not explained how the Rocket version would be allowed on public roads.

Pricing and deliveries are still open. Tesla's 2017 reservations were $50,000 for the standard car and $250,000 for the Founders Series, and the company has moved its delivery targets repeatedly. Reports before the reveal pointed to production in 2027 or 2028. Musk has also said the Roadster will be the only manually driven car Tesla makes.

The verdict

The Roadster is real, and Tesla now has footage of a production-intent car performing a stunt few automakers would attempt. Whether it becomes a car customers can buy, and whether the flying part survives the move from demonstration to road, remains to be seen.

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