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Tesla Roadster unveiled with SpaceX rocket thrusters that can flip it through the air and hit 60mph in under a second

A Tesla Roadster prototype, which the company first showed in 2017 after promising deliveries by 2020 — a launch that never came.
A Tesla Roadster prototype, which the company first showed in 2017 after promising deliveries by 2020 — a launch that never came.

Elon Musk has unveiled the new Tesla Roadster at SpaceX's Texas test facility, demonstrating a two-seater electric sports car equipped with cold-gas thrusters that can launch it into the air, flip it over a line of vehicles including a Cybertruck and a Semi, and land it safely in a cloud of smoke. The car hit 60mph in 0.81 seconds during the event, with Musk claiming the production version will be quicker still. Musk admitted before the stunt that 'success is not guaranteed' and ran it without a driver 'to make sure we don't kill anyone'. Production is not expected until 2028, and the full flight system will not be road-legal.

The flying version will be available by invitation only, will cost more than $200,000, and Musk himself has admitted it may not be legal in every jurisdiction.

The FAA said the Roadster does not meet its definition of an aircraft, leaving its regulatory status deeply unclear, with one Georgetown Law professor warning there will be 'a long process' before anything like it reaches public roads.

Tech blogger Marques Brownlee summed up widespread scepticism on X: 'This is a prank, right?'

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