Tesla Roadster Fires Up SpaceX Tech for ‘Flying Car’ Demo

On Thursday night, Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster electric sports car in Texas, demonstrating a series of extraordinary capabilities, such as vertical driving, aerial barrel rolls, and hopping over other cars aided by SpaceX thruster and suction technology. The angular coupe, which looked significantly different from its 2017 concept, showcased a design inspired by the Cybertruck, with Tesla Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealing the underbody suction system capable of generating up to 2Gs of suction, allowing the EV to cling to surfaces, including walls.

Elon Musk humorously remarked, "This car really sucks," suggesting the car's ability to "suck the chrome off a trailer hitch."

In the demonstration, the Roadster performed various maneuvers, including driving upside down, launching into the air to execute a barrel roll with the assistance of 10 SpaceX cold gas thrusters, and even hopping over a lineup of Tesla vehicles while performing another barrel roll. The fully functional nature of the vehicle displayed during the event remains questionable, given the opaque windows and the seemingly implausible aerobatics for a long-range electric vehicle often loaded with battery packs.

Despite the flashy display, the Tesla Roadster's on-road performance is claimed to be impressive, with a stated ability to corner at more than 2 g of lateral acceleration and a 0-60 mph sprint time of 1 second, or 0.81 seconds when aided by the SpaceX thrusters. The automaker emphasizes that the "Rocket" spec will be a limited-edition, invitation-only model not available to the general public.

However, these figures have yet to be independently confirmed by Tesla. The company plans to offer the car in three trim levels, with a production target set for 2028, though final prices, updated range estimates, and other details have not been disclosed. Reservations for the Roadster, priced at $50,000 each, opened on the reservation page.