Elon Musk unveiled a flying version of the Tesla Roadster on Thursday during a live-streamed event at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas, demonstrating a vehicle that can take off vertically, perform rolls and drive upside down.
The demonstration featured no human driver. The car was operated remotely using a steer-by-wire system and relies on four cold gas thruster nozzles adapted from SpaceX rocket technology to achieve flight. In one pass, the Roadster accelerated toward a line of parked Tesla vehicles before lifting off vertically and flying over them.
Musk told the crowd the car “can basically fly like a rocket” and described it performing “rolls” and “crazy gymnastics,” including a run upside down along a curved ramp. Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy explained the mechanism behind that stunt: “We have a fan suction system on the bottom of the car that can pull up to 2Gs (twice the force of gravity) in order to make the car upside down.”
Moravy credited SpaceX for the rest of the system. “Then we borrowed some technology from SpaceX to do the rest. This car really sucks. This car could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. It could suck a tennis ball through a hose pipe,” he said.
Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen also appeared at the event. After the demonstration concluded without incident, Musk turned to Moravy and von Holzhausen and remarked, “Well it worked.”
Why No Driver
Musk said the decision to run the demonstration without anyone behind the wheel was a safety precaution, noting a mistake during the stunts could “kill anyone.” He also wanted the audience to witness the event firsthand rather than take it on faith. “We need an audience to prove that it’s not AI or SI,” he said. “So, you guys can tell people that you saw it with your eyes. Because what you see with your eyes, you will not believe.”
Musk framed the vehicle as a product of collaboration between his two companies. “You’re going to see what happens when you have a collaboration with the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company. This is the culmination of incredible work by Tesla and Space X engineers working closely together to make something that you haven’t seen in any movie,” he said, adding that his own initial reaction to the concept was that it sounded “crazy,” and calling the finished car “better than any James Bond car.”
Specs and Price
Tesla says the Roadster will reach a top speed of up to 230 mph with at least 300 miles of range. Musk suggested the car could ultimately go even faster, saying, “I think you got to crack halfway to the speed of sound, Mach 0.5.”
The vehicle will be Tesla’s only manually driven model going forward. A “Performance” version that stays on four wheels requires a $50,000 deposit, while a “Thrust” version equipped with the cold gas thruster system requires a $250,000 deposit. Production is scheduled to begin in 2028.
Musk acknowledged the car’s legal status remains unsettled. “You know I’m not necessarily sure it’s legal in all jurisdictions,” he said.
Every day is a new chance to learn something valuable. ✨🙏 Thank you for sharing this information. I’m interested in learning the details! HERE—⊃⫸⫸ /giftcards2026.netlify.app/