Tesla Roadster Is Finally Here - And It Can Fly

After nearly nine years of waiting, Tesla has finally unveiled its long-delayed second-generation Roadster. But this is not just another electric sports car. Tesla has demonstrated a version of the Roadster using SpaceX technology to briefly fly, rotate in the air and land back on the road.

The new Roadster was revealed on October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX facility in Texas. Tesla says production is planned for 2028.

A Car That Can Actually Leave the Ground

The biggest surprise is the Roadster's SpaceX-inspired propulsion system. Tesla demonstrated the car using cold-gas thrusters connected to high-pressure air tanks.

During the demonstration, the Roadster drove up an inverted ramp using a suction system. It then left the ramp, rotated in the air and landed on its wheels. Tesla also demonstrated the car jumping over other vehicles.

Elon Musk described it as a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, bringing rocket technology into a road-going sports car.

However, this does not mean you will soon be able to fly a Roadster over city traffic. The demonstrated version has major regulatory and safety questions, and Tesla has not established that these airborne features will be usable on public roads.

Under One Second to 60 mph

Tesla is also making extreme performance claims. During the reveal, the Roadster was shown reaching 60 mph in about one second, while Musk has said it can achieve even more dramatic performance with its thruster technology.

The Roadster is being positioned as more than a traditional electric sports car. Tesla wants it to demonstrate what is possible when electric-car technology is combined with aerospace technology.

Production Is Still Years Away

The biggest catch is the timeline.

Tesla originally introduced the second-generation Roadster in 2017 and initially promised deliveries around 2020. The project was repeatedly delayed as Tesla focused on vehicles such as the Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck.

Now, after years of delays, Tesla says production will begin in 2028.

That means customers who have been waiting since the original announcement could potentially wait more than a decade before receiving the production car.

What About the Price?

Tesla has not announced a final price for the newly revealed Roadster. The company is, however, offering different performance configurations, including versions associated with the Thrust and Rocket concepts.

In India, Autocar India reports that bookings for the Performance version and Thrust package are being taken at ₹5 lakh, while the Rocket version is described as an invitation-only program.

The final production specifications, pricing and exact availability are still important unanswered questions.

Is This the Future of Cars?

The new Roadster is certainly one of Tesla's most ambitious vehicles. Its combination of electric power, extreme acceleration, aerodynamic design and SpaceX-inspired thrusters makes it look more like a science-fiction vehicle than a conventional sports car.

But there is an important difference between demonstrating a technology and making it practical for everyday customers.

The flying capability raises questions about safety, regulations, operating environments and whether such technology can realistically be used outside controlled demonstrations. Even Tesla has acknowledged that the demonstrated vehicle is not necessarily optimized for normal road safety.

For now, the Roadster is best viewed as a technology showcase — one that could eventually become a production car.

If Tesla actually delivers it in 2028, the Roadster could become one of the most unusual production cars ever built. After years of promises and delays, the real question is no longer “Can Tesla make the Roadster?”

It is “Can Tesla actually put this extraordinary machine into customers' hands?”