Elon Musk Unveils Tesla Roadster Demonstrated Hovering Above the Ground

Tesla unveiled its long-delayed second-generation Roadster on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at a livestreamed event at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco. In the demonstration, a prototype used underbody suction fans to drive up a curved ramp until it was fully upside down, then fired cold-gas thrusters to launch off, flip in mid-air and land on its wheels; on a second run it jumped over a row of Tesla vehicles including a Semi. Tesla is offering three versions, called Performance, Thrust and Rocket, and Elon Musk said production would begin in 2028. No price was announced, and the most extreme version is invite-only and, according to Tesla's own website, not approved for public roads.

What did Tesla show on October 15?

The event came almost exactly nine years after Tesla first teased the car. TechCrunch and TNW describe two stunts: the inverted ramp run, in which suction held the car to the surface before the thrusters pushed it clear, and a jump over a lineup of a Cybercab, a Cybertruck, a Semi, a Model Y and a Model 3. Tesla also showed a recorded run from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 0.81 seconds, a figure it measured itself and that has not been independently verified; Chip Online and TNW both stress that point. Musk told the audience that the future does have flying cars after all, and Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, said that flying cars are real.

What are the Performance, Thrust and Rocket versions?

Tesla's reservation page, as reported by Electrek and TechCrunch, lists three trims and treats the latter two as add-ons to the first. Performance, described as road ready, has two seats, active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system, with 0 to 60 mph in under 1.6 seconds. Thrust, described as race ready, keeps two seats and adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters for acceleration, claiming under 0.9 seconds; Electrek says it will be a limited release. Rocket, described as air ready, has a single seat and 10 cold-gas thrusters around the perimeter for vertical and rotational movement, claiming under 0.59 seconds and a top speed above 230 mph (about 370 km/h). According to Electrek, the cabin uses a yoke with steer-by-wire, meaning no mechanical link between the driver and the wheels, plus a center touchscreen and two small driver displays. The seat is fixed and many controls are manual to save weight, and the structure uses magnesium, titanium and carbon fiber. Tesla says the design draws on the SR-71 and F-35 aircraft as well as its Cybertruck and Cybercab. Musk called it the best of the last of the human-driven cars, and HDmotori reports he said it will be Tesla's last manually driven model for the long term.

Tesla quotes a range of more than 300 miles (about 480 km). Reports differ on how far the headline figures apply: TechCrunch says all three trims are rated for 300 miles and more than 230 mph, while Electrek attributes the 230 mph figure to the Rocket only. Tesla has not published battery capacity or motor output.

How do the suction fans and thrusters work?

Fans under the car pull air from beneath the body, creating downforce that does not depend on speed. Tesla says this is strong enough to hold the car upside down even when it is stationary, according to Franceinfo and Electrek. The Italian outlet HDmotori reports the system produces about 2 g of downforce. Tesla has filed a patent for an electric fan car with ground-sealing skirts, which observers linked to the Roadster before the reveal. In Track Mode the car lowers itself and deploys wings moved by actuators from Tesla's Optimus robot program, with downforce Tesla describes as approaching Formula 1 levels. The thrusters are where SpaceX comes in. Moravy said 10 thrusters draw on 600 liters of compressed gas to lift and spin the car, and that the tanks can be refilled. Tesla said on X that every usable void in the car holds carbon fiber overwrapped pressure vessels, or COPVs, the same type of tank used on rockets; TechCrunch notes such vessels have been linked to several SpaceX rocket failures. Tesla claims the thrusters produce four to five times the force the tires can transmit, which is how it explains acceleration figures beyond those of tire-limited cars. Musk first floated the idea of about 10 small thrusters in a 2018 post.

How much does the Roadster cost and how do reservations work?

Tesla has not set a price for any version. Reservations reopened after the event: $50,000 for Performance and $250,000 for Thrust, while Rocket is by invitation only, as reported by TechCrunch, Fox Business and TNW. Electrek says the Performance deposit is split into $5,000 due immediately, described as fully refundable, and $45,000 due within 10 days or the reservation is cancelled. Franceinfo reports the European reservation at about 44,000 euros. For comparison, Tesla quoted a base price of $200,000 in 2017, according to Fox Business, and took $250,000 from buyers of 1,000 Founders Series cars.

Is the Roadster street legal?

The answers do not line up. Asked whether the car is street legal, Musk replied that it depends on your street, according to Business Insider as cited by TNW. Tesla's own Roadster page says the Rocket version is not approved for public road use, and Franceinfo quotes the site as saying the car can fly but is not homologated for public roads. HDmotori adds that not every US state would allow it. Electrek's reviewer expects that thruster use could void the warranty. No regulator has commented on the design.

How does this compare with the 2017 promises?

Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 as a surprise at the end of the Semi reveal, promising production in 2020. Electrek sets the original targets against the new ones: range has fallen from 620 miles to more than 300, top speed from over 250 mph to over 230 mph, and seating from four (a 2+2 layout) to two at most. Acceleration went the other way: 1.9 seconds to 60 mph was promised in 2017, and every new trim claims to beat it. Tesla delayed the car in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024; a planned April 2026 reveal slipped, and an October 1 event was postponed because of severe weather.

What are critics saying?

Electrek, whose author discloses holding Founders Series reservations, calls the engineering real but notes that the headline stunt versions are limited or invite-only and not road legal, and doubts Tesla will sell more than a handful. YouTuber Marques Brownlee asked whether the announcement was a prank, TechCrunch reports. Musk himself has played down the business case, calling the car a halo product that may not move revenue much, and earlier this year said safety is not its main goal. Business Insider argued the reveal also works as a recruiting pitch for engineers, and Franceinfo pointed out that the event did not address environmental impact.

What happens next?

Musk's stated target is production in 2028, a date he has not tied to a price or a delivery schedule, and Chip Online describes it as a plan rather than a firm commitment. Tesla has not said how long the Rocket can stay airborne, how many jumps one tank charge allows, or under what conditions owners could use the flight system. The next concrete milestone is Tesla's quarterly earnings report, expected on October 21 according to Libertad Digital, where analysts may press for a price and production details.