Tesla’s new Roadster can do a barrel roll, climb walls and hit 230mph

Tesla demonstrates much-rumored cold-gas thruster technology New Roadster can "jump" and flip in the air Fan system creates downforce that will "crush every track record" Following a typically awkward and slightly slapdash presentation at SpaceX’s Rocket Test and Development Center in McGregor, Texas, Tesla finally unveiled its new Roadster after nearly a decade of delays.

The event, which felt a bit like the audience had stumbled upon a few friends messing around in physics class, was fronted by Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy, and CEO Elon Musk, who freestyled their way through 20-odd minutes of scrappy information and Hollywood-style live demonstrations.

Oh, and we actually saw what the claimed production version of the Roadster will look like when it goes on sale (seriously this time) in 2028.

Gone are the curves and clean lines of the previously promised Roadster , as Tesla ushers in a more angular, Cybertruck-style look that apparently takes inspiration from SR-71 aircraft and rocket ships.

You could argue it now looks like Tesla's take on an electric Lamborghini, but the Tesla trio were keen to point out on several occasions that the upcoming Roadster is very much a joint effort between the EV company and Elon Musk’s SpaceX — hence the myriad rocket references seen throughout the design.

Roadster event livestream https://t.co/G0jU4mWfid October 15, 2026 “The results are the collaboration of the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company,” Musk boasted before demonstrating what the vehicle is capable of.

In summary (fast forward to the demos in the clip above), it features numerous SpaceX-developed cold-gas thrusters that can not only deliver brutal acceleration (Tesla is claiming 0-60 mph in under 0.59 seconds and a top speed of over 230mph on top-tier versions), but can also make the car “fly” for short periods.

Thrusters at the rear of the Roadster provide up to 80 kN of thrust for straight-line speed, while individual units around and underneath the car deliver upward lift, as well as the ability to control the vehicle’s movements in the air.

Making these work on earth's atmosphere and not in the vacuum of space is the engineering headache teams at SpaceX and Tesla have been wrestling with for years.

During a live demonstration, which was “autonomous” and didn’t use a real driver for safety reasons , the new Tesla Roadster jumped over the company’s entire fleet of vehicles, performing a barrel roll midair before landing in a plume of thick gas and driving away.

Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy said that Tesla calls this move “the kick-flip” and that “Tony Hawk would be proud.” Tesla's CEO revealed that the system uses an advanced ultra-high-pressure air tank.