- Elon Musk staged a dramatic nighttime reveal of the long-delayed Tesla Roadster prototype at a SpaceX facility in Texas on 16 October
- The prototype leapt over a line of parked Teslas, flipped mid-air, and landed using bursts of compressed gas in a cloud of white smoke
- The production model is targeting a 2028 release, with a Thrust Variant upgrade costing millions in rands and a top speed exceeding 250 mph
Elon Musk took one giant step towards making the flying car a reality. At a dramatic nighttime event held at a SpaceX rocket development facility in Texas on 16 October, the billionaire CEO unveiled a prototype of the Tesla Roadster, and it did things no road car has ever done before.
Source: Getty Images
The prototype was powered by 10 ultra-high-pressure air nozzles fed by internal compressed tanks. It used underbody suction to climb a steep ramp, hang upside down, and launch into the air. It cleared a row of parked Teslas, flipped mid-air, and descended on bursts of compressed gas before touching down in a cloud of white smoke.
What are the Tesla Roadster's specs?
The production Tesla Roadster is built around an all-wheel-drive powertrain with 10,000 Nm of wheel torque, a 620-mile range, seating for four, and a top speed above 250 mph. The standard model requires a $50,000 (R800 000) reservation.
A Thrust Variant, priced at an additional $245,000 (R4 million), adds SpaceX cold-gas rear thrusters and an active multi-mode fan system, slashing the 0-to-60 mph time to under a second. An invite-only Rocket Variant goes even further, replacing the four-seat layout with a single-seat configuration and perimeter thrusters designed for true flight, though it will not be road-legal.
Musk described the car as the product of a collaboration between "the world's best car company and the world's best rocket company," with production currently targeted for 2028. Musk ran the test autonomously, telling the crowd he did so for safety reasons. He posted on X:
"Turns out the future does have flying cars."
Watch the Tesla Roadster prototype take flight at the Texas event.
Experts question Tesla's flying car
Not everyone is convinced the concept holds up under scrutiny. According to Interesting Engineering, Roger Conner, vertical flight curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, told CNN that building a vehicle to perform both functions is an enormous engineering challenge. "Inevitably, something that is a hybrid between the two is going to be a poor-performing aircraft and a poor-performing vehicle, and also quite expensive," he said.
Conner also noted that Thursday's demonstration fell short of sustained flight.
"We're not talking about sustained flight," he said. "We are literally talking about hopping."
@xAbhinavMishra wrote:
"A Tesla that can FLY? 🤯 The future of automobiles is getting WILD! 🔥"
@davidellisonsaid:
"This is truly amazing. Congratulations!"
[@micsolana](https://x.com/micsolana) added:
"Okay, one thing I can say with confidence is truly nobody thought the guy who owned the 140-character company would also be the guy that built the flying cars."
Other Briefly News stories about Elon Musk
- Elon Musk alleged on X (formerly Twitter) that representatives in South Africa attempted to solicit bribes from his company to bypass regulatory hurdles and secure a Starlink operating licence.
- Tech billionaire Elon Musk invoked race on social media when explaining Starlink's delayed entry into South Africa, claiming regulations prevent him from securing an operating licence because he is not Black.
- Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele publicly appealed to Elon Musk to bring Starlink to South Africa, urging him to work within national frameworks to address inequality.
Source: Briefly News
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