After years of waiting, the Tesla Roadster gave its audience something worth looking up for: a sports car briefly airborne above a Texas test site.
At SpaceX’s McGregor facility on October 15, Tesla demonstrated a redesigned Roadster climbing a curved ramp, travelling upside down and launching into the air before landing back on the ground. Musk later shared footage on X, declaring: “Turns out the future does have flying cars.”
The prototype also performed an aerial roll and showed off its acceleration. According to Car and Driver, Tesla reported a 0–60 mph time of 0.81 seconds during one demonstration run. That is a manufacturer-reported result from the prototype, with production-car performance still to be established.
Turns out the future does have flying cars https://t.co/6fexPp6SXI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2026
How the Roadster pulled off the stunt
Tesla described two systems working together: fans beneath the car that help it grip a surface, and compressed-air thrusters that provide additional thrust.
During the presentation, the company said the fan system could generate suction equivalent to roughly twice the force of gravity. The thrusters helped the vehicle launch, change its orientation and control its descent. Another demonstration showed it clearing vehicles from Tesla’s lineup, including the Cybertruck and Semi.
The demonstration established that the prototype could make brief airborne manoeuvres under controlled conditions. Approval to use those capabilities on public roads remains unresolved.
Real life, baby https://t.co/3QEqn18wig
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 16, 2026
Buyers still face a wait
Musk is now targeting production in 2028. The second-generation Roadster was first unveiled in November 2017, making this latest appearance nearly nine years in the making. Repeated delays have kept customers waiting far beyond the project’s original timetable.
The presentation left major buying details unanswered, including the final price and a firm delivery date. Musk also acknowledged uncertainty over whether the vehicle would be legal in every jurisdiction.
Tesla has delivered a memorable demonstration. For customers, the next milestone is more practical: seeing which of those capabilities reach a production car, where they can be used and when the first vehicles actually arrive.
