Tesla Roadster May Debut This Month: A "Flying" Supercar Equipped with SpaceX Thrusters

After nearly a decade of waiting, Tesla is set to unveil the new-generation Roadster as early as this month—this car is not just fast; it is designed to fly.

Recently, according to a report by The Information, three insiders revealed that Tesla is preparing for the launch event of the new Roadster, which could take place as early as this month. The event will feature a stunt performance showcasing the "flight" capabilities of the limited-edition Roadster. The demonstration is expected to be held at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas.

The vehicle's "flight" capability comes from cold-gas thrusters—a technology commonly used in rockets—jointly developed by Tesla and SpaceX. Due to the extreme noise generated by the thrusters, the demonstration vehicle will be remotely controlled with no one inside, and all spectators must stand hundreds of yards away.

Currently, Tesla's stock price has fallen by nearly a quarter this year, while the Nasdaq Composite Index has risen by 15% over the same period. The unveiling of the new Roadster is seen by outsiders as a signal from Tesla to the market: while going all-in on AI and robotics, it remains an automaker.

Stunt Performance: Magnetic Rails, Inverted Driving, and Hovering

According to descriptions from three insiders, just a few months ago, Tesla's demonstration plan was quite science-fiction-esque: the vehicle would drive up a magnetized, roller-coaster-style ramp, complete an inverted drive, automatically reset, and then hover in the air.

However, this plan has been scaled back. According to one insider, Tesla previously previewed the plan to Musk, after which the demonstration was postponed and certain segments were cut. Musk recently told some Tesla employees, "It will be difficult to execute this demonstration perfectly, and things might go wrong, but it will be spectacular regardless."

It is currently unclear whether Tesla will broadcast the event live or only release recorded footage.

Screenshot from a video by automotive blogger Carros Show, showcasing potential Roadster design

From Sports Car to "Aircraft": Design Underwent Multiple Overhauls

The birth of the new Roadster has been a history of constant overturning and restarting.

In 2017, Tesla suddenly unveiled a new Roadster prototype at a semi-truck launch event, announcing delivery within three years. Since then, the delivery timeline has been delayed at least eight times.

In 2022, the project regained momentum. The design team was split into two groups: one modified the platform based on the Model S Plaid, while the other started from scratch, adopting an ultra-lightweight carbon fiber body structure—similar to the construction methods of top-tier performance cars and race cars.

Musk chose the latter and demanded that the team "get it right or don't do it at all." This meant Tesla had to develop a brand-new supercar, despite having relatively limited experience in this field at the time.

To achieve this, Tesla recruited several engineers from Italy, including Stefan Nothdurfter, the former Engineering Director at Lamborghini.

The "Flight" Directive: Engineers Were Stunned

Musk's requirements for the Roadster kept escalating. He first said he wanted to build the "fastest production car in history," then later said it should be "crazier than all Bond cars combined," and finally proposed: the car must be able to fly.

One person involved in the project recalled that when Musk said it "must be much crazier," the engineers looked at each other, thinking, "How the hell are we supposed to make this thing fly?"

Another insider revealed that the definition of "flight" itself was constantly evolving: "The initial question among engineers was, 'What does flight actually mean?'... At first, we thought we were building an airplane, but what we ended up creating was closer to hovering."

In 2024, the Tesla team began working closely with engineers from the SpaceX Starship propulsion team, including Bill Riley, Vice President of Starship Engineering. The main engineering work on the cold-gas thrusters was undertaken by the Tesla team, with one of the biggest challenges being how to maintain sufficient stability for a car designed for ground driving once it lifts off.

Design Language: A Fusion of the Blackbird Reconnaissance Plane and Lamborghini

Tesla also took a tortuous path in terms of exterior design.

Design Director Franz von Holzhausen initially hoped the new car would pay homage to the Lamborghini Countach, but later shifted direction, requiring the vehicle to resemble the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird high-speed reconnaissance aircraft from the Cold War era. The project thereby received the internal codename "A-71."

This direction pushed the team to explore numerous radical angular shapes and unconventional designs. By 2025, the final proposal became more conservative, incorporating some elements of the Countach style.

According to three insiders, late last year, Tesla completed a functional prototype, featuring a two-seat design with butterfly doors. The standard edition and the limited edition are expected to have similar appearances.

Limited Edition: Not Street-Legal, Price Could Reach Millions of Dollars

The limited-edition Roadster is positioned for an extremely niche market. According to insiders, this version is not expected to comply with road regulations, and the price could reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

Tesla internally discussed allowing some super-fans to purchase demonstration vehicles—this version would carry SpaceX branding and operate under a model similar to Ferrari's XX program (where owners drive track-only race cars under supervision).

Additionally, the team considered designing the limited edition as a single-seater, replacing the passenger seat with cold-gas thrusters. In the current design scheme, it is likely that the driver cannot remain inside the vehicle while the thrusters are active—noise is the primary reason.

Nearly a Decade of Waiting: Pre-orderers' Patience Is Wearing Thin

In 2017, Tesla opened pre-orders, with a $50,000 deposit for the standard edition and a $250,000 deposit for the limited "Founders Series." Since then, some notable pre-orderers have publicly announced the cancellation of their orders, including YouTuber Marques Brownlee and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Musk has repeatedly joked about those "long-suffering" Roadster pre-orderers at shareholder events.

Rick Bhowmick, an employee of a New York investment firm, pre-ordered the new Roadster in 2021. Having owned the first-generation Roadster, he still holds expectations for Tesla but admitted, "I am quite skeptical about whether this will materialize, mainly due to financial considerations. My hope is: either this succeeds and I get my dream car, or they cancel the project and refund everyone's money."

Tesla and SpaceX: The Imagined Merger Behind a Car

The new Roadster carries another layer of significance—it is a tangible embodiment of the deep collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX.

According to The Information, cooperation between the two companies is becoming increasingly tight in various fields such as AI, robotics, and the Terafab chip manufacturing facility, with the possibility of a formal merger being discussed more frequently in the market. During last month's earnings call, Musk appeared somewhat evasive when pressed by analysts about the merger timeline, stating only that such events require "appropriate processes."

For Tesla, the Roadster means more than just a car. It is the company's starting point and also a vessel for Musk's personal sentiments—in 2018, he strapped his cherry-red first-generation Roadster to a SpaceX rocket and sent it into orbit around the sun.