The second-generation Tesla Roadster is finally being revealed tonight at the SpaceX rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas.
The event promises to be like no other car unveiling before it, because the Roadster promises to be like no other car before it.
Tesla is livestreaming the event across social media starting at 7:55 p.m. CT, and we’ll be following it for you here with the latest updates and information that come out of it, so check back for updates.
The event is underway and Elon Musk previewed it by saying “success is not guaranteed.”
The demonstration began with the Roadster driving up a ramp that went from vertical to inverted using a “fan car” system that features fans inside the rear diffuser that evacuate air from under the car to create a near-vacuum.
The car then drove off the end of the ramp and used its cold gas thrusters to rotate and land safely on its wheels.
It was then demonstrated taking off from the ground and flying over a row of Tesla’s models, including the Semi, while doing a barrel roll and landing upright back on the ground. Tesla explained that it has 10 thrusters and two 300 liter tanks that can hold 250 kg of compressed air, which is replenished while driving using an electric compressor.
The car was apparently being remotely controlled and no one was inside during the flight tests.
The styling is entirely different from the Roadster concept that was revealed in 2017 and features a much edgier design that was inspired by the Lotus Esprit submarine from “The Spy Who Loved Me” that Elon Musk purchased at auction in 2013 for $967,120.
The thrusters can also assist with acceleration and were shown helping it sprint from 0-60 mph in .81 seconds. The suction system is primarily meant to improve the car’s handling on flat surfaces, as there aren’t many ramps you can drive up in the real world. The car is also equipped with a large adjustable rear spoiler/wing that can switch from high downforce to low drag modes. Lars Moravy, Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, said the top speed will be over 230 mph in low drag mode, but Musk told him he wants it to go Mach .5, which is 380 mph at sea level. He can work on that, because the car is still in development and won’t be in production before 2028.
Pricing and driving range were not announced, but Tesla is accepting reservations with $50,000 deposits and there’s a catch when it comes to the flying part. The Roadster will be offered in three trims. There’s a base Performance with two seats, the active aerodynamics and the suction system; a Thrust model that adds thrusters just for acceleration; and a Rocket model, which is “invite only” and listed as a single seater with the suction system and full thruster package, but is “not approved for road use.”
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Musk’s “one more thing” was mentioning that there will be future demonstrations before the car goes on sale and that one thing they want to do is to recreate Evel Knievel’s attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho, but successfully.
