McGREGOR, Texas — Nine years after Tesla first showed a next-generation Roadster prototype, the company unveiled a redesigned version of the electric sports car on Oct. 15 and said production will start in 2028, according to USA TODAY.
The two-seat car was developed with SpaceX, the rocket company run by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk. During the demonstration it drove upside down on a ramp, held there by suction, spun in mid-air, came down on built-in thrusters and later jumped clear over a truck and several other vehicles.
Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vehicle engineering chief, said the car can hit 60 mph from a standstill in under a second, with a top speed above 230 mph. Whether the thruster features will be legal on public roads was not immediately clear.
Tesla gave no price for the new car. The prototype shown in 2017 carried a $200,000 base price, and deliveries were supposed to begin in 2020.
After the event, Tesla’s reservation page listed a Performance version at a $50,000 deposit and a Thrust version, fitted with acceleration thrusters, at $250,000. A third version, called Rocket, was invitation-only: a single-seat car with a full flight system.
Musk himself has played down the car’s importance to Tesla’s finances, calling it in 2023 a small matter that would not move the needle in a major way for the company.
The original Roadster — sold from 2008 to 2012 — was Tesla’s first electric vehicle. The new car arrives as Tesla shifts more of its attention to AI, self-driving technology and robotics.
