On October 15, 2026 (US time), Tesla unveiled its next-generation electric sports car, the Roadster, at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas. The event featured a startling demonstration: the car drove up a curved ramp, ran upside down, righted itself in midair, and landed. It also flew over several parked Tesla vehicles while rotating in the air. Arriving about nine years after the 2017 prototype debut, the new Roadster uses underbody suction fans to increase grip, plus a high-pressure gas thruster system adapted from SpaceX technology to accelerate and control its attitude in the air. However, the flight-capable version is not intended for public roads, and judging its real-world performance will also require considering constraints such as refilling the gas used for the thrusters and repeated use.
Three Roadster versions, from road-going to flight-capable
In addition to the base "Performance" model, the new Roadster comes in "Thrust" and "Rocket" versions equipped with propulsion systems. According to the specifications and acceleration figures Tesla published on its official X account, the three versions differ not only in performance but also in intended use and seating capacity. The midair rotation and flight shown at the event are not features common to every Roadster.
| Version | Seating / intended use | Key equipment | Claimed 0–60mph time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 2 seats; road-going; reservations open | Movable aerodynamic devices, suction fans | Under 1.6 seconds |
| Thrust | 2 seats; track-oriented; limited availability | Performance equipment plus rear cold-gas thrusters | Under 0.9 seconds |
| Rocket | 1 seat; flight-capable; invitation only | Thrusters also placed around the body to control lift and midair rotation | Under 0.59 seconds |
These acceleration figures measure the time to go from a standstill to 60 mph (about 97 km/h), which differs from the 0–100 km/h measure commonly used in Japan. Tesla's Japanese website also states explicitly that the Rocket "is not approved for use on public roads." Likewise, the fact that the Performance is described as road-going does not mean it has already obtained approval to be driven in every country or region; actual sales and use will be subject to local regulations.
Meanwhile, Tesla reported that an acceleration demonstration at the event achieved 0–60mph in 0.81 seconds. This is a measurement from the demonstration and should be distinguished from the claimed performance of "under 0.59 seconds" set for the Rocket. At this point, it has not been confirmed as an independent third-party measurement, nor is it a figure comparing the different versions under identical conditions.
How suction fans let a car drive upside down
One of the new Roadster's defining features is the suction fan mounted underneath. The fan draws air out from between the car body and the road surface, creating a pressure difference with the surrounding air that presses the body against the road. It is combined with a sealing mechanism that limits air flowing in through gaps beneath the car, maintaining strong suction. According to Tesla's official website, the device generates enough suction to hold the car in an upside-down position even while stationary.
Wings and spoilers on ordinary sports cars generate downforce from airflow while the car is moving, so their effect shrinks as speed drops. A suction system using electric fans, by contrast, can press the body against the road without depending heavily on speed. This increases tire grip even at launch and in low-speed cornering. Driving upside down is a visual demonstration of that capability, but the real aim is to increase the driving and cornering force the tires can transmit to the road.
However, the technology of using fans to drive a car upside down was not demonstrated for the first time here. In April 2025, the UK's McMurtry Automotive successfully carried out an experiment in which a car drove upside down under its own power, using a test prototype of its electric sports car, the Spéirling PURE. In that experiment, a dedicated rig carrying the vehicle was rotated to flip it upside down, and the car drove while held in place by fan suction. It did not run along a curved ramp and launch into the air as the Roadster did, but the basic principle of generating strong grip even at low speeds is the same.
The Roadster combines its suction fans with movable aerodynamic devices. In Track Mode, it can reportedly change ride height and suspension settings to switch between a state that produces high downforce and one that reduces air resistance. According to Tesla, the drive mechanism for the movable wing applies actuator technology from its humanoid robot, Optimus. Alongside propulsion technology derived from SpaceX, the incorporation of drive mechanisms developed in robotics is another distinguishing feature of the new Roadster.
High-pressure gas thrusters behind the claimed sub-0.59-second acceleration
Alongside the suction fans, the other major feature of the new Roadster is the "cold-gas thruster," adapted from SpaceX technology. It is a device that obtains thrust from the reaction force of high-pressure gas stored in a tank and expelled through nozzles. Unlike a rocket engine, which burns propellant to produce hot gas, it expels pre-compressed gas. Technical materials on small satellites published by NASA's Johnson Space Center likewise describe a mechanism in which regulated gas from a high-pressure tank is sent to multiple thrusters to control attitude and direction of movement.
In the Roadster, this technology is used for acceleration and midair attitude control. Expelling gas from the rear of the car produces forward thrust, and selectively using nozzles placed around the body allows control of lift and rotation. Whereas the suction fans press the tires against the road and increase the force that friction can transmit, the thrusters apply thrust directly to the body without going through the tires. Accordingly, it is the thrusters, not the suction fans, that make it possible to change the car's attitude after it leaves the road surface.
Considering Tesla's published acceleration figures from a physics standpoint makes the thrusters' role clearer. If we assume the Rocket's claimed 0–60mph time of under 0.59 seconds is measured from a complete standstill, the average acceleration exceeds about 4.6 times standard gravity. Converting 60 mph to 26.8224 m/s and dividing by 0.59 seconds and standard gravity of 9.80665 m/s² gives about 4.6 G. However, this is an average over the entire acceleration interval and does not represent peak instantaneous acceleration or the combined load acting on occupants.
In addition, vehicle acceleration tests sometimes use a "rollout," which excludes a certain distance immediately after launch from the measured time. Because whether rollout is included changes the meaning of the figure, the roughly 4.6 G calculated from the claimed time is only a reference value that assumes acceleration from a complete stop. Verification by a third party, with matched acceleration, road conditions, and measurement methods, will be needed.
What determines the thrusters' performance is the amount of high-pressure gas the vehicle can carry. According to the explanation at the event, the demonstration car carried two tanks with a combined capacity of 600 L, using about 250 kg of gas and 10 nozzles. Tesla says it placed carbon-fiber-reinforced high-pressure vessels in the vehicle's interior space, and that the more gas that can be stored, the longer the car can stay in the air. However, this is information published about the demonstration car, and it has not been decided that every production version will carry the same equipment.
Because the thrusters consume the tank's stored gas each time they fire, repeated use requires refilling. Elon Musk explained that the tanks can be refilled on the vehicle, but did not disclose details such as refill time, power consumption, or how many seconds of thrust a single fill provides. The performance of normal battery-powered driving and the acceleration and flight performance that consume high-pressure gas need to be evaluated separately. In repeated track use in particular, the time required for refilling and how well performance can be maintained over continuous running will determine practicality.
A major change from the 2017 concept
Tesla first unveiled a prototype of the next-generation Roadster in 2017. At that time, it set targets of 0–60mph in 1.9 seconds and a range of 620 miles (about 998 km), attracting attention as an electric sports car combining excellent acceleration with long range. Tesla's official earnings materials at the time likewise positioned the Roadster as something that would overturn conventional assumptions about electric vehicle performance. However, the production plan was repeatedly postponed, and it took about nine years to reach this new announcement.
The range Tesla has now indicated is over 300 miles (over about 483 km), considerably shorter than the 620 miles set in 2017. Meanwhile, 0–60mph acceleration is under 1.6 seconds even for the base Performance, and shorter claimed times are given for the Thrust and Rocket. However, because the range test methods and vehicle configurations have not been compared under the same conditions, it cannot be concluded that real-world range has been halved. Nor can the published information tell us how much the installation of high-pressure gas tanks and thrust systems affected range.
The body design was also changed substantially from the 2017 prototype. Tesla says it drew on the supersonic reconnaissance aircraft SR-71 and the F-35 fighter for design reference, adopting forms more linear than previous Tesla vehicles and in keeping with the Cybertruck and Cybercab. The cabin features a yoke-style steering wheel using steer-by-wire, which transmits steering input electrically. Weight reduction is pursued through fixed seat positions and manual operation, and materials such as magnesium, titanium, and carbon fiber are reportedly used.
Through these changes, the new Roadster has evolved from the long-range EV supercar envisioned in 2017 into a vehicle combining special aerodynamic devices with a high-pressure gas propulsion system. In addition to the improved grip from powerful suction fans, it pursues new capabilities: extreme acceleration and brief flight using thrusters. However, how much of these functions can be used in everyday driving remains unclear, and it is difficult to judge the vehicle's overall performance from acceleration times alone.
In Japan, a ¥6.82 million reservation payment and a 2028 production target
Tesla is also taking reservations for the new Roadster in Japan. On the Japanese official reservation page, the selectable version is the Performance, requiring a ¥680,000 payment at reservation and a further ¥6.14 million within 10 days. The total required for a reservation comes to ¥6.82 million, but this is not the vehicle's purchase price; it is only a payment to reserve. The final vehicle price has not yet been announced, and if payment is not completed by the stated deadline, the reservation may be canceled.
Only left-hand-drive specifications are listed for Japan. The Rocket is not approved for use on public roads, and the specifications and conditions of use for versions sold in Japan will need to be confirmed in future announcements. Musk set a production start target of 2028 at the event, but this does not guarantee delivery dates to buyers. Because the Roadster's production plans have been repeatedly postponed since the 2017 announcement, the start of reservations should be considered separate from actual production and delivery.
The key question going forward is whether the performance shown can be reproduced in production cars. Of particular importance, beyond third-party measurement of acceleration, are how long the thrusters can fire, refill times, and performance when acceleration and flight are repeated multiple times. Once official sales prices for each version, regional legal requirements, and delivery terms are clarified, evaluation of the Roadster as a product that can actually be purchased will also advance. Whether the new Roadster can establish the capabilities shown in this demonstration as repeatable sports car performance will be the biggest point of interest as it heads toward the 2028 production start.