So the long-awaited Tesla Roadster has been revealed and three incredible variants have been promised. However, its left-hand drive-only configuration and a rocket-assisted version capable of brief, Jetsons-style airborne manoeuvres complicates its availability in Australia.
Tesla has outlined three versions of its second-generation Roadster: Performance, Thrust and Rocket.
The three variants offer different levels of aerodynamic technology and rocket-style propulsion. Tesla presents Thrust as an upgrade over the Performance, and Rocket as an invitation-only configuration.
Tesla calls the Performance as “road ready”, the Thrust as “race ready”, and the Rocket as “air ready”.
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The all-new electric sports car was demonstrated at a Tesla event in Texas last week, when a prototype performed jumps and aerial manoeuvres using technology developed with SpaceX. Tesla is now targeting a production start in 2028, more than a decade after the second-generation Roadster was first revealed in 2017.
The three configurations are not simply conventional equipment grades. The Performance is intended for road use, the Thrust adds rear-mounted compressed-air thrusters to increase acceleration, while the single-seat Rocket has flight-like capabilities.
Tesla has yet to announce final purchase prices, full production specifications or confirmed customer delivery dates. Here's what we know so far.
Tesla Roadster Performance: The road-going model
The Performance is the entry point to the new Roadster range, although it is still expected to deliver supercar-level performance.
Tesla is yet to confirm any specs for the Performance, but describes it as “road-ready”, with seating for two, active aerodynamics, and a multi-mode suction system designed to generate downforce.
The system uses fans to draw air from beneath the car, creating suction to improve grip. Tesla says the technology can generate enough force to hold the vehicle upside down, even when stationary, as demonstrated in Texas.
The Performance model does not include the rear thrusters. Instead, it delivers its... performance solely via its electric powertrain, aerodynamic systems, and chassis technology.
For customers to reserve the Performance in the US, Tesla requires an initial US$5000 payment, followed by another US$45,000 within 10 days, bringing the total reservation payment to US$50,000. That is a deposit rather than a confirmed purchase price.
Tesla has not opened reservations for any Roadster versions beyond the US market at this stage.
Tesla Roadster Thrust: Rear-mounted thrusters
The Thrust retains the Performance variant's two-seat layout and aerodynamic tech, but adds cold-gas thrusters mounted at the rear of the vehicle.
Tesla claims the system enables acceleration from 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in less than one second. During the launch demonstration, the Roadster completed an 0.81-second run, although that figure has yet to be independently verified.
The thrusters use highly compressed nitrogen rather than conventional rocket fuel combustion, with technology developed in collaboration with SpaceX. Tesla engineering vice-president Lars Moravy has described a system incorporating 10 thrusters connected to approximately 600 litres of compressed nitrogen.
The system is intended to provide additional acceleration beyond what the car's electric powertrain can deliver through its tyres alone. Tesla has not, however, published complete production details explaining the system's operating duration or how frequently it can be used during normal driving.
The Thrust is listed as a limited-release model. In the US, its total reservation payment is US$250,000, comprising an initial US$5000 fee and a further US$245,000 within 10 days. That amount also represents a reservation payment, not a final retail price.
Tesla Roadster Rocket: A single-seat flying car
The Rocket is the flagship of the three-model Roadster range and the only version that Tesla explicitly markets with flight capability.
Unlike the other two models, it has a single-seat layout, with cold-gas thrusters positioned around the perimeter of the vehicle rather than solely at the rear.
Tesla says this arrangement enables forward and upward acceleration, as well as lateral and rotational movement. Combined with the suction system, the technology is intended to let the vehicle lift off, manoeuvre it in the air and return it to the ground under control.
The Rocket was the configuration showcased during the Texas demonstration, where the prototype performed airborne manoeuvres, including a jump over other Tesla vehicles. The demonstration also featured the car using its suction system to travel upside down and even park on an inverted ramp.
Tesla calls the Rocket “air-ready”, but there are substantial unanswered questions about its practical capabilities. The company has not published a confirmed flight duration, maximum altitude, operating limits or complete production specifications.
The Rocket is available by "invitation only", with no public reservation deposit or final purchase price disclosed. Tesla also explicitly states that this version is not approved for public-road use.
How fast will the Tesla Roadster be?
Tesla's latest claims extend beyond the headline acceleration figure.
The company has advertised a top speed exceeding 230mph (370km/h) and a driving range of more than 300 miles (approximately 483km). Elon Musk also suggested during the reveal that the car could eventually reach Mach 0.5, or roughly 617km/h, although that was an ambition rather than a confirmed number.
Tesla has not released technical specifications covering the Roadster's battery capacity, motor configuration, combined power output or charging performance. Nor has it confirmed an official WLTP range figure.
The suction system is another major part of the Roadster's claimed performance and is designed to complement conventional aerodynamic downforce, with active wings and selectable aerodynamic modes intended to balance grip and drag.
Tesla says the system can generate up to 2g of downforce, while the thrusters are claimed to produce more than 80kN of thrust, however, both figures remain unverified manufacturer claims.
Will the Tesla Roadster come to Australia?
Despite briefly inviting local reservations for the new model, the Roadster page on Tesla's Australian website states the vehicle will be available as a left-hand-drive model only, quite apart from the Rocket version being unapproved for road use.
"Availability is subject to each region's legal requirements and applicable laws. Available as a Left-Hand Drive vehicle only," it states.
That leaves the car's prospects in Australia uncertain. Tesla has not announced a right-hand drive version will materialise in future, let alone signalled local pricing, specs or a schedule delivery for ours or another right-hand drive markets.
Even if reservations do open here, that doesn't guarantee the Roadster can be registered for use on Australian roads.
While the final street-legal status of the Performance and Thrust versions will depend on their production specifications and applicable local regulations, the Rocket 'flying car' is explicitly excluded from public-road use and almost certainly won't be seen in Australian skies any time soon either.
That's because it's likely to be classified as an e-VTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle) here, where apart from requiring Australian Design Rule certification to be registered for use on public roads and a pilot's license to fly, will require a Certificate of Airworthiness and/or Type Acceptance Certificate, and approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR).
How do the three Tesla Roadster models compare?
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