If your phone blew up last week with videos of a Tesla driving upside down and flipping through the air, you were not imagining it. On Thursday, October 15, Tesla finally unveiled the next-generation Roadster at a livestreamed event at SpaceX's test site near Waco, Texas — nearly nine years after the first prototype was shown in 2017.
We live and breathe fast cars, so here is what was actually shown, what is still a claim, and what it means if you want to feel that kind of acceleration in Orange County before 2028.
What Tesla showed
- A ramp that turned upside down. The car accelerated up a curling ramp and used a fan-driven suction system to stay attached until it was fully inverted.
- Thrusters, built with SpaceX. Cold-gas thrusters fired the car off the end of the ramp. It rolled in midair and landed on its wheels. In a second demo it jumped a line of cars and a semi-truck.
- 0–60 in under one second. Tesla showed a run under a second and says certain versions will do it, with a top speed above 230 mph.
Elon Musk's line from the stage: “Turns out the future does have flying cars.”
The versions
- Performance — the standard, non-flying Roadster.
- Thrust — a limited edition with the acceleration thrusters.
- Rocket — an invite-only, single-seat model with what Tesla calls a “full flight system.”
Tesla did not announce prices at the event. The original 2017 Roadster was quoted at $200,000 to start.
The fine print
The demos were spectacular. A few things are worth knowing before you put a deposit down:
- Production is planned for 2028. For context, the 2017 prototype was promised for 2020.
- The flying model is not approved for public roads, according to Tesla. The FAA told CBS News the vehicle does not meet its definition of an aircraft, and no agency has clearly claimed oversight of it yet.
- Musk himself hedged, saying success is not guaranteed but the car will probably work.
None of that makes it less exciting. It just means the Roadster you saw flip over a semi is a 2028-and-beyond story, not something you will see on PCH this year.
Want that feeling now? Here is what is in our fleet
You cannot rent a Roadster — nobody can. But you can feel serious launch-control acceleration in Orange County this weekend.
- Ferrari SF90 Stradale — Ferrari's plug-in hybrid flagship. A twin-turbo V8 plus three electric motors make 986 hp, and Ferrari quotes 0–100 km/h in 2.5 seconds. The closest thing in our fleet to the instant electric shove people love about Teslas, with a V8 soundtrack on top.
- McLaren 750S Spider — lightweight, twin-turbo, and roof down for the coast.
- Lamborghini Aventador SVJ — a naturally aspirated V12. Nothing electric about it, and that is the point.
Rentals start at $799 a day, with same-day delivery anywhere in Orange County when you request before noon.
Already drive a Tesla?
A lot of Tesla owners wrap their cars to stand out from the thousands of white, black and gray Model 3s and Model Ys on OC roads. One recent job at our Costa Mesa shop: a Model 3 taken from factory red to satin black, finished with a ceramic coating over the wrap.
Full color changes for sedans start at $3,500, and chrome delete starts at $399. If you are also worried about rock chips on the front of a new Tesla, read PPF vs ceramic coating vs vinyl wrap before you decide.
Event details from coverage by CBS News and Fox Business.
Can't wait until 2028?
Book an SF90, a McLaren or a Lamborghini and feel it this weekend — or bring your Tesla in for a wrap quote.