EVwire brief: Tesla has officially unveiled the next-generation Roadster, with the company revealing three configurations of its long-awaited supercar, including a Rocket version that can fly for short hops.
The lineup starts with the road-ready Performance, with the race-ready Thrust and the air-ready Rocket sitting above it. All three use a multi-mode suction system, while the Thrust and Rocket add SpaceX-inspired cold-gas thrusters.
The Rocket is the quickest of the bunch, with Tesla listing a 0-60 mph time of under 0.59 seconds. The flying Roadster also tops out at over 230 mph (~370 km/h), while every version offers more than 300 miles (~483 km) of range. Reservations are now open on Tesla's website.
Tesla also showed what the thrusters can do in the real world. In a video posted on X, the Roadster sprinted from 0-60 mph in 0.81 seconds, or 0.67 seconds with rollout subtracted:
Tesla is positioning the new Roadster as the last of its kind. The company noted that the original 2008 Roadster had one job, to prove that an electric car could be "fast, sexy & worth wanting," while the new Roadster represents "the best of the last human-driven cars."
Here's Tesla's livestream of the Roadster’s launch event:
Details:
Performance: A two-seater built for the street, using active aero and a multi-mode suction system for extra grip on the road and on track. 0-60 mph in under 1.6 seconds.
Thrust: A two-seater set up for racing, combining the suction system with a bank of cold-gas thrusters at the rear. 0-60 mph in under 0.9 seconds.
Rocket: A single-seater designed to fly, with cold-gas thrusters placed around the car's perimeter for forward, upward and rotational movement. 0-60 mph in under 0.59 seconds.
Demo run: 0-60 mph in 0.81 seconds, or 0.67 seconds without rollout
Range: 300+ miles (~483 km)
Top speed: 230+ mph (~370 km/h) on the Rocket
Exterior: Hidden headlights, a single full-width taillight and flush body panels, featherweight thin-spoke wheels, an aerospace-grade Ano White finish built to resist UV, extreme cold, static and corrosion, and gold-tinted glass inspired by spacesuit visors, trimmed in titanium
Interior: White cabin with gray microsuede accents and grippy bolstered seats, manual controls and a fixed seat to save weight, and magnesium, titanium and carbon fiber throughout
Price: Not yet announced, with reservations open at Tesla.com/Roadster
Tesla described the Roadster as the “last best driver’s car” in a post on X:
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Thrusters that out-push the tires
The Roadster's cold-gas thrusters are what set it apart from every other car on the road. Tesla noted that conventional vehicles are ultimately limited by how much grip their tires can deliver, while the Roadster's thruster system produces four to five times that force. This means that the same mass gets pushed significantly harder, which is how the Roadster gets to its sub-second 0-60 times.
Tesla also credited SpaceX, which has relied on thrusters to maneuver spacecraft for decades. Adapting the technology for a car that operates in open air instead of a vacuum required all-new hardware and controls. To maximize flight time, Tesla filled every usable space in the Roadster with Carbon Fiber Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) that store compressed gas, while all-electric actuators fine-tune the thrusters within a fraction of a second to keep the car stable in the air.
Here's Tesla's post on the Roadster's thrusters and COPVs:
Suction and active aero
The Roadster's grip doesn't stop at its thrusters. A multi-mode fan and ground sealing system draws air from underneath the car, creating enough suction for the Roadster to hold itself upside down while standing still. Powered fans and active wings work alongside it to boost traction and cornering speeds, delivering massive downforce even when the car isn't moving.
The Roadster also transforms in Track Mode, which Tesla says gives it the best passive downforce package of any road car, approaching F1 levels. Interestingly enough, the Roadster's wing is moved by the same actuator system Tesla developed for its Optimus humanoid robot.
Tesla showed the Roadster's Track Mode in action on X:
Design inspired by the SR-71 and F-35
Tesla said its design language has come a long way since the Roadster was first shown, with the Cybertruck, Cybercab and Optimus all shaping the company's latest look. The new Roadster takes its cues from two iconic military jets, the SR-71 and the F-35.
Inside, the Roadster keeps the focus squarely on the driver. Manual controls, a fixed seat and lightweight materials such as magnesium, titanium and carbon fiber help keep weight down, which Tesla says lets the Roadster react to driver inputs almost instantly.
Here's Tesla's design video for the Roadster:
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Context:
The Roadster's unveiling caps a wait of nearly nine years. Tesla first revealed the next-gen Roadster as the "one more thing" at the Semi unveiling in late 2017, promising a 1.9-second 0-60 mph time and a 2020 delivery target that came and went as the program sat on the back burner. Tesla nodded to the Roadster's history in space after the event as well, noting on X that "Roadster and a rocket have shared a ride before."
The program picked up serious momentum this year. Musk said in April that the Roadster could debut "in a month or so," Tesla executives confirmed it will be built in Texas in May, and reports in August pointed to a standard version and a SpaceX thruster variant. Tesla then moved the launch to October 15 due to severe weather, with Musk teasing the event days before.
Source: Tesla on X
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