Car that flies? Tesla's new Roadster jumps, flips mid-air and lands on all 4 wheels

Tesla's new Roadster could make supercars look ordinary, with rocket thrusters promising mid-air stunts and even barrel rolls. But this flying-inspired electric sports car comes with an exclusive catch.

In Short

• Tesla unveils redesigned Roadster with supercar-level performance and rocket tech
• Top Rocket variant with thrusters, a single-seater, offered by invite only
• Launch set for 2028, but production specs and road legality remain unclear

Tesla’s redesigned Roadster has made an ambitious return to the spotlight, promising supercar-rivalling performance and rocket-inspired technology. However, the most radical version of the electric sports car will not be available to everyone. The top-spec Rocket variant, equipped with a full set of thrusters designed to enable aerial manoeuvres, will be offered exclusively to customers invited by Tesla.

Unveiled at an event in Texas, the second-generation Roadster was demonstrated performing a series of dramatic stunts, including an airborne barrel roll and a jump over a semi-truck. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also claimed that the car could accelerate from 0 to 100kmph in just 0.81 seconds, putting it in a performance league of its own if the figures translate to a production model.

Tesla Roadster Rocket, Thrust and Performance variants explained

Tesla's reservation website outlines three versions of the upcoming electric sports car: Performance, Thrust and Rocket. Each gets a different level of performance hardware, with the most extreme equipment reserved for the range-topping model.

The entry-level Performance variant will not feature rocket thrusters, while the Thrust version will get rear-facing acceleration boosters. The Rocket variant goes further, featuring 10 thrusters and what Tesla describes as a full flight system. The system uses compressed gas, with onboard compressors designed to recharge it.

The reservation details also indicate a significant difference in availability and pricing. The Performance model requires a 50,000 USD deposit, while the Thrust version carries a USD 250,000 deposit and is listed as having limited availability. The Rocket variant, meanwhile, is marked as invite-only and is described as a single-seater.

Tesla has not clarified how customers will be selected for the Rocket model or how many examples it intends to produce.

Beyond rocket thrusters, the Roadster gets a suction system

Even without the most extreme hardware, the new Roadster is expected to feature technology aimed at improving its performance. All three versions are said to feature a fan-powered suction system that generates up to 2G of downforce, according to Tesla. The system was demonstrated during the reveal, with the car driving upside down on a ramp.

The thrusters, however, raise questions about the car's practical use beyond controlled demonstrations. Their reported operating speeds, noise levels and unconventional functionality could make their integration into a road-legal production car particularly challenging.

Tesla has yet to explain how the system will comply with public-road regulations or whether the features demonstrated at the event will be available in customer vehicles.

The company has also not provided a complete set of production specifications, leaving questions about the final car's configuration, performance and homologation unanswered.

Tesla Roadster launch timeline and expected performance

Tesla says the new Roadster is scheduled to arrive in 2028, nearly a decade after the company first unveiled the next-generation model in 2017. At the time, Tesla targeted deliveries in 2020 and promised a four-seat electric sports car with a claimed range of around 1,000km on a single charge.

The original Roadster, launched in 2008 and discontinued in 2012, was the company's first production electric vehicle and was based on the Lotus Elise platform. The second-generation model is intended to take the nameplate into a very different territory, combining extreme acceleration with technology developed alongside SpaceX, Musk's aerospace company.

However, Tesla's repeated delays mean the latest timeline will be closely watched. The company has yet to establish a firm customer-delivery schedule for the new model, and the specifications showcased during the event should be viewed as claims rather than independently verified production performance.

If it reaches production with its headline-grabbing technology intact, the Roadster could become one of the most unconventional electric sports cars on sale. For now, though, the version capable of the most spectacular stunts remains an exclusive proposition, and its eventual availability on public roads is still uncertain.

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