Tesla unveiled its long-anticipated Roadster on Thursday during a dramatic event in which the vehicle used compressed-air thrusters to fly off a ramp and perform a midair maneuver.
The vehicle was seen flying, performing a midair flip and accelerating from zero to 60 mph in under a second.
“Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas.
Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy added, “Flying cars are real.”
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The jaw-dropping showcase featured the new Roadster accelerating up a massive curved ramp and using a fan-based suction system to remain attached until it was completely upside down before using integrated cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX to launch off the ramp, flip in midair and land safely back on the ground.
In another demonstration, the Roadster launched over a lineup of cars and a semi-truck, performing a midair flip before landing safely on the other side.
Musk said certain versions of the Roadster can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than one second and reach a top speed of more than 230 mph. During the event, Tesla demonstrated a Roadster accelerating to 60 mph in under a second.
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“Every car on the road today is limited by one thing: tire grip Roadster’s thruster system generates 4–5x the force the tires can. More force on the same mass means significantly better acceleration – physics does the rest,” Tesla said on X.
Nearly a decade after the Roadster’s initial 2017 concept debut, the vehicle left audiences in awe with the gravity-defying demonstration that deployed SpaceX’s rocket technology.
“Today, Roadster presents a new moment in history – the best of the last human-driven cars,” Tesla wrote on X.
Tesla executives announced at Thursday’s event that production would begin in 2028.
Musk and other Tesla executives did not outline the cost at Thursday’s event, but nearly a decade ago, the company quoted a base price of $200,000.
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Tesla’s reservation page for the Roadster after Thursday’s event listed a $50,000 reservation payment for the “Performance” version and a $250,000 reservation payment for the “Thrust” version, which features “acceleration thrusters.” An invite-only “Rocket” variant is a single-seat model with a “full flight system.”
When Tesla revealed a prototype of the car in 2017, it said that deliveries would begin in 2020.
