WATCH: Elon Musk unveils Tesla's new Roadster, and it can fly
Using SpaceX rocket technology, the sports car climbed a curved ramp and hurled itself to a controlled landing.
Tesla showcased a modified Roadster equipped with rocket-like thrusters during a Thursday event, announcing plans to commence production in 2028, a decade after initially unveiling a next-generation electric sports car. The sleek, white two-seater, a joint effort between Tesla CEO Elon Musk's electric vehicle company and SpaceX, demonstrated remarkable feats such as driving upside down on a ramp utilizing a suction system, performing mid-air stunts like turning and landing with onboard thrusters, and even leaping over other vehicles while twisting in the air.
Observers interpreted this display as Musk leveraging the event to generate buzz for a potential merger between Tesla and SpaceX, an idea Musk has previously contemplated due to the overlap between the two influential companies he oversees. While the unveiling provided Tesla with a standout automobile following numerous delayed Roadster launches, it occurred amid the company's strategic pivot towards self-driving technology and robotics, and just prior to releasing third-quarter earnings that analysts deem more critical for investors.
According to Gene Munster, the event served as an engineering spectacle, devoid of any tangible commercial value beyond potentially humiliating conventional automakers.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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