Tesla shows second-generation Roadster hopping and spinning on SpaceX thrusters

Overnight demonstration in Texas

Tesla presented the second-generation Roadster overnight between 15 and 16 October 2026, Italian time, at SpaceX's Rocket Test and Development Center in McGregor, Texas. According to Il Fatto Quotidiano, the car ran in autonomous mode for safety reasons, climbed a curved ramp, launched, jumped five parked vehicles with a mid-air spin and landed under control. Ten cold-gas micro-thrusters developed with SpaceX provide the lift, Il Fatto Quotidiano reports. No one was inside the car, Il Giornale notes, and the show ran before an outdoor crowd in a concert-style atmosphere.

Pricing, production and delays

Production is due to begin in 2028, ANSA and Wirtschafts Woche report. Tesla first took deposits of 50,000 or 250,000 dollars in November 2017, when a prototype was shown and a 2020 production start was planned, a date that passed without production. ANSA says buyers who paid 250,000 dollars nine years ago must still wait to drive their cars. Wirtschafts Woche instead reports a 250,000 euro reservation for the thruster version, paid as 5,000 euros followed by 245,000 euros within ten days, and a 50,000 euro reservation for the Performance model without thrusters. The Rocket version is offered by invitation only, and Tesla's website says flying is not allowed in public traffic.

Performance and flying-car history

Musk claimed the car can go from 0 to 100 km/h in under a second and reach 370 km/h, while his stated ambition is half the speed of sound, ANSA reports. In the demonstration, Wirtschafts Woche says, the car accelerated from a standstill to 60 mph (about 96.6 km/h) in 0.81 seconds, and Musk said the production model would be faster. BBC reports that Musk described a practical car that uses an advanced ultra-high-pressure air tank for lift. Flying cars are not new, Fanpage notes, pointing to a 35-minute flight by the AirCar between Nitra and Bratislava in June 2021.

Doubts over roads and motive

BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman said flying cars are unlikely to appear on roads in the near future for several reasons, and BBC says it is unclear whether the car is ready for road use. Asked whether it could drive on public roads, Musk reportedly laughed and said it depends on the road. Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management said the demonstration had no commercial value beyond embarrassing traditional carmakers, and that it showed Musk's eagerness to combine Tesla and SpaceX. ANSA reports that many see the car as a move to draw attention to a possible merger, which Musk is said to want. TechRadar argues the spectacle distracts from a stagnating EV business. Wirtschafts Woche adds that Musk said the Roadster would be the last Tesla car driven by humans, as he shifts focus to autonomous driving and humanoid robots.

Where the reports differ

Sources differ on the venue, with ANSA describing a SpaceX site, Wirtschafts Woche placing the event in Waco, and TechRadar, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Il Giornale naming McGregor. Price figures also diverge, as ANSA gives dollars and Wirtschafts Woche gives euros. ANSA quotes Musk's under-one-second 0 to 100 km/h claim, while Wirtschafts Woche and BBC report 0.81 seconds to 60 mph. Wirtschafts Woche adds that it remains unclear how many cold-gas cars Tesla intends to build.