This Time, Tesla’s Electrifying Roadster Feels Like the Real Deal

When you’ve been in this business long enough, you can sniff out the difference between a concept car that’s simply for show and one that teases an upcoming production model. The new Tesla Roadster prototype is the latter.

This isn’t to say the entirety of this ambitious electric sports car, which identifies as a two-seat coupe that Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims will “crush every track record that has ever existed,” is production-bound. However, there’s enough evidence to support Musk’s assertion that the Roadster will enter production “in 2028” (give or take a few years). Parts such as exterior rearview mirrors will need to find their way into the finished product, and the prototype's SpaceX-supplied cold-gas thrusters and downforce-enhancing suction system may ultimately end up on the cutting-room floor—at least in any planned street-legal variants. Still, the basic bones of this battery-powered sports car look close to production-ready.

Most of what the Roadster needs to become reality and drive on public roads appears to be present, including proper cutlines for body panels, latches and hinges for doors, and an interior featuring all the expected controls and space for airbags (such as in the steering wheel’s central hub). The dash-mounted screen's size and user interface also appear to have been developed with production in mind, and this infotainment system is more than just a static display or simple reskin of the existing setup that Tesla uses. It wouldn't shock us to learn the UI shares its core architecture with those of other Teslas, but it’s a fully functional setup with unique features that operate in an intuitive manner that usually gets forgotten about in the systems of show cars, which often emphasize a “wow” factor over functionality—an important aspect for something automakers expect users to operate while driving.

As for the futuristic technical bits of the new Tesla Roadster? Well, just how much of that makes it to production is a different story. Tesla claims the prototype’s battery pack and rear-mounted dual electric motors produce north of 1340 horsepower. That’s a believable sum, but it also sounds like too much oomph for just two drive wheels to handle. If we were the gambling sort, we’d guess the base Performance model either adds another motor or two to the front axle to help the Roadster better maintain traction off the line, or that the entry-level trim of this seemingly six-figure sports car packs a sub-1000-hp punch. Maybe Tesla tows this line by offering a temporary “boost” function that allows the powertrain to temporarily push out all those horses once on the move.

Roadsters with the standard suction system and the thrusters reserved for the higher-end Thrust and Rocket models seem less likely to materialize. At least on street-legal Roadsters, if only due to the questionable legality of using such systems on the road. Musk even seemed to acknowledge this during the reveal event, saying, “I’m not sure it’s necessarily legal in all jurisdictions.” But if either feature comes to market, then we expect them to be limited to track-only iterations of the Roadster or disabled for use on public streets, possibly only being accessible when the car’s GPS system coordinates align with certain privately owned spaces, such as a racetrack or personal runway.

Look, we acknowledge there’s a lot about the reborn Roadster that may ultimately prove to be little more than show-car frippery or marketing spectacle designed to excite investors. But after seeing the vehicle up close, we feel pretty confident that the bones of this prototype—its core battery-electric powertrain as well as exterior and interior details—are nearly production-ready. While we’re less confident that production will actually begin in 2028 given Tesla’s notoriety for delays, we do think the evidence suggests this new Roadster will be on the roads by the time this decade ends.

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