Tesla showed the next-generation Roadster on the night of October 15 at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, and yes, it left the ground. Cold-gas thrusters let it hop, turn in the air and jump over five other Teslas. That’s the “flying car” part. It isn’t a flying car you could take on your commute, though. Tesla’s own Roadster page says the flight-capable version is “not approved for public road use,” and AP’s headline says the same.
The suction-and-thruster setup is new engineering, and the jumps were a good show. It’s also a 2028 promise from a company that has already missed one Roadster delivery date.
What Tesla showed
The white Roadster first drove upside down on a ramp, held there by fan suction, then turned in the air and landed on its thrusters, Reuters reported. Later it used the thrusters to jump over a Semi, a Cybertruck, a Cybercab, a Model 3 and a Model Y. Tesla engineering VP Lars Moravy told the crowd the car uses 10 thrusters connected to about 160 gallons (600 liters) of compressed air, and that the air tank can be recharged, according to TechCrunch.
Holy smokes https://t.co/rTnRobllwc
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 16, 2026
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 16, 2026
How the “flying” works
Two systems do the work. A fan and ground-sealing system pulls air from under the car. Tesla says that makes enough suction to hold it upside down, even when it’s standing still. The thrusters are cold-gas units with electric actuators, and Tesla says they make tiny corrections in a fraction of a second to keep the car steady in flight. Tesla’s site sums it up as “So yes, it can fly,” with a footnote that limits flight to the Rocket trim.
What the reveal showed was short hops and spins in a controlled demo, not sustained flight. Tesla also says on X that “every usable void in the car” is packed with carbon fiber overwrapped pressure vessels, or COPVs, to store the gas.
Every car on the road today is limited by one thing: tire grip
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 15, 2026
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 https://t.co/zdPRT2aKwZ
Three versions, no prices yet
- The Performance seats two and gets active aerodynamics and the suction system. Tesla calls it “road ready,” lists no thrusters for it, and the reservation is $50,000.
- The Thrust has two seats and rear cold-gas thrusters. Tesla calls it “race ready,” and the reservation is $250,000.
- The Rocket has one seat, thrusters around the perimeter and a “full flight system.” It’s invite only.
Tesla named no price for any of them. Nearly a decade ago it quoted a base price of $200,000.
Is it street legal?
The Rocket, the version that flies, isn’t approved for public roads, according to Tesla’s own site. The Performance is the one Tesla calls road ready. Tesla calls the Thrust “race ready” and doesn’t say whether it’s road legal. Musk was vaguer on stage. “You know I’m not necessarily sure it’s legal in all jurisdictions. But there will be such a car that someone can own,” he said, as InsideEVs reported.
Tesla’s claims and Musk’s claims
Moravy gave two official numbers: 0 to 60 mph in under one second and a top speed over 230 mph, Reuters reported. Reuters also cites more than 300 miles of range on a charge. Tesla’s site ties the sub-one-second time to the Thrust. Musk went further. “Definitely much faster than that,” he said of the top speed. “I think you’ve got to crack halfway to the speed of sound.” That’s Musk’s hope, not a Tesla spec, and nobody has tested any of these numbers independently.
We’ve heard Roadster promises before
When Tesla first showed this Roadster in 2017, Musk promised more than twice today’s range and deliveries starting in 2020. The new car claims more than 300 miles, and production is now planned for 2028, eight years after the first delivery date.
Spec sheet: Tesla Roadster (company claims)
Source: tesla.com and the October 15 reveal, as reported by Reuters and TechCrunch.
A Roadster reservation today is a $50,000 or $250,000 deposit on a car with no price and a 2028 start date. If you’d rather put that money toward a fast used Audi you can drive this year, take our Audi PPI checklist to the shop before you sign.
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Sources
- Tesla: Roadster
- AP: Tesla’s Roadster gets thrusters and a suction system, but not for public roads
- The Hindu (Reuters): Tesla’s new Roadster turns in air with SpaceX thrusters, won’t land until 2028
- TechCrunch: Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style
- InsideEVs: Will the flying Tesla Roadster be street legal?