Elon Musk unveiled the new Tesla Roadster during a livestreamed event at his SpaceX facility in Texas. The electric sports car features high-pressure air thrusters that allow it to leave the road entirely. During a demonstration, the vehicle used rocket-style thrusters to race upside down along a ramp, perform a mid-air flip, and land back on its wheels, leaping over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3.
Musk stated that the Roadster has altitude control thrusters and main thrusters in the rear, allowing it to basically fly like a rocket. The vehicle is capable of accelerating from 0kmh to 96.5kmh in less than a second and can hit a top speed of over 370kmh.
Tesla Inc. is hoping the flight demonstration can give its ground-bound auto business a lift. While the Roadster refresh concept was first debuted in 2017, the company has since missed every targeted delivery date. Production is now expected to start in 2028, more than a decade after the next-generation version of the electric sports car was first shown.