Originally published on The Daily Flare.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026, with a SpaceX-developed cold-gas thruster package.
- The car demonstrated inverted driving and a mid-air kickflip using approximately 10 thrusters and an underbody suction fan.
- No FAA certification exists for the thrusters, and production is targeted for 2028 starting at $200,000.
Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026, ending a nine-year wait since the concept first appeared in 2017.
Nine Years in the Making
Tesla first showed the Roadster concept at its Semi event in November 2017, promising deliveries by 2020. The timeline slipped repeatedly. The October 15 reveal at SpaceX's McGregor, Texas test site finally put a production-intent car in front of a live audience.
Lars Moravy, Tesla's VP of vehicle engineering, explained the technology on stage. The car carries a fan suction system on its underside that can generate up to two Gs of downforce. Tesla borrowed thruster technology directly from SpaceX for the rest.
The demonstration was deliberately theatrical. The Roadster drove up a curved ramp, went upside down, launched off the end, flipped mid-air, and landed. A second stunt showed it accelerating toward parked Teslas, firing into the air, and completing a "kickflip" over them. Musk joked it was "not necessarily a safety-optimised car."
The SpaceX Package
The headline feature is the optional SpaceX package, codenamed A71. It uses approximately 10 cold-air thrusters positioned around the car, powered by a high-pressure air tank. These are not rocket thrusters: they release pressurized air through nozzles, with no combustion or rocket fuel involved. The system is designed to improve acceleration, braking, and cornering beyond what tire grip alone allows.
Independent analysis has cited an operating pressure of around 6,000 psi in a composite-overwrapped pressure vessel, though Tesla has not published official specifications. The thrusters enable short "flight" moves: brief hops, hover, and the inverted driving demonstrated on stage.
Three variants were announced. The Performance is the base configuration with the thruster package as an optional upgrade. The Thrust includes the cold-gas package as standard. The Rocket is the top-spec, single-seat variant, invite-only and not publicly reservable.
What Remains Unclear
Regulators have not cleared the thrusters for public road use. No FAA type certification exists for the Roadster, and without it, the standard aircraft certification process does not apply. A temporary flight restriction was in place around McGregor during testing.
The performance claims were demonstrated on private property with preprogrammed sequences. Independent verification has not happened. Tesla lists a 0-60 mph time of 0.81 seconds (shown on a timer during the reveal), a range of more than 300 miles, and a top speed above 230 mph, but these remain manufacturer figures.
Pricing starts at $200,000, with a $250,000 Founders Series. The SpaceX package pricing has not been confirmed. Production is targeted for 2028, with Musk warning that legal road use will depend on local rules.
A cold gas thruster works by releasing pressurized air or gas through a nozzle, producing thrust without combustion. Unlike a rocket engine, there is no burning fuel: just compressed air pushing the car. SpaceX has used the technology for years on its Falcon 9 rockets for attitude control.
