Everything About Tesla Roadster

Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster in a livestream on October 15, 2026, almost nine years after the first prototype. It comes in three trims, two of them with rocket-style thrusters. Tesla has not announced prices, and Elon Musk pointed to 2028 for production.

It is the most extreme car Tesla has shown, and also one of its most delayed.

Tesla’s first car was the original Roadster, sold from 2008 to 2012. It was built on a Lotus Elise chassis and proved electric cars could be fast and desirable.

Revealed

November 2017

Promised production

2020

0-60 mph

1.9 seconds

Range

620 miles

Top speed

Over 250 mph

Seats

Four, as a 2+2

Customers paid reservation deposits from 2017, and the launch was delayed many times.

Performance

Two seats. Road ready, with active aero and a suction system. 0-60 mph in under 1.6 seconds. By reservation

Thrust

Two seats. Race ready, with rear cold-gas thrusters. 0-60 mph in under 0.9 seconds. Limited release

Rocket

One seat. Thrusters around the car for vertical and rotational moves. 0-60 mph in under 0.59 seconds and over 230 mph. Invite only and not approved for public roads

Tesla describes Thrust and Rocket as add-ons to the Performance car.

Range

Over 300 miles

Top speed

Over 230 mph, on the Rocket trim

Materials

Magnesium, titanium, and carbon fiber

Battery and charging

Not announced

• Cold-gas thrusters, fed by carbon-fiber pressure tanks, push the car beyond what tires alone can do
• Tesla says the thrusters produce four to five times the force the tires can handle
• A fan-based suction system pulls the car to the ground. Tesla says it can hold the car upside down
• Track Mode lowers the car and deploys active wings, driven by Optimus robot actuators

The livestream showed stunts, including the car flipping through the air.

• Inspired by the SR-71 and F-35 aircraft
• Hidden headlights and a full-width taillight
• Ano White paint inspired by rocket coatings
• Inside: a steering yoke with steer-by-wire, a center screen, and two driver displays
• A fixed seat and manual controls to save weight

Reservations reopened with a $50,000 deposit: $5,000 paid immediately, which Tesla calls fully refundable, plus $45,000 due within 10 days, or the reservation is cancelled. Prices for each trim were not announced.

Never send a large deposit without reading the full terms on Tesla’s own website.

0-60 mph

1.9 seconds promised. Under 1.6 seconds now, on Performance

Range

620 miles promised. Over 300 miles now

Top speed

Over 250 mph promised. Over 230 mph now, on Rocket

Seats

Four promised. Two at most now

• What each trim will cost
• Whether production starts in 2028
• Whether thrusters and suction can meet road safety rules
• Whether the Thrust trim is road legal
• Battery size and charging speeds
• How stunt features affect the warranty
• What happens for 2017 reservation holders

• Check Tesla’s official Roadster page and announcements
• Read reliable automotive news, not just social posts
• Treat performance figures as Tesla’s claims until independently tested