Elon Musk has unveiled Tesla’s next-generation Roadster electric sports car, showcasing a prototype that drove upside down, performed a mid-air flip and briefly took flight using rocket-inspired thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX.
“Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Musk wrote on X, while sharing a video of the vehicle performing the aerial stunts.
The demonstration, held at a SpaceX testing facility in McGregor, Texas, on Thursday, October 15, featured the long-awaited sports car executing manoeuvers rarely associated with conventional road vehicles.
Footage showed the Roadster ascending a steep, curved ramp before travelling upside down, launching into the air, performing a barrel roll and landing safely.
It was also shown leaping over a lineup of Tesla vehicles.
The vehicle uses a specialised suction system to generate enough force to hold it against the ramp while upside down, while built-in thrusters help propel and control it during its airborne manoeuvres.
Turns out the future does have flying cars https://t.co/6fexPp6SXI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2026
The demonstration offered a glimpse of Musk’s ambition to combine electric vehicle engineering with aerospace technology.
However, it remains unclear how much of the prototype’s unusual functionality will make it into production models or whether the flying features will be permitted on public roads.
Tesla is also promising exceptional performance from the Roadster.
Musk said it could accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour (about 97 kilometres per hour) in less than one second and reach speeds exceeding 370 kilometres per hour.
The company has described three configurations of the roadster; performance, thrust and rocket.
The Rocket version is presented as the most advanced, with a full flight system, although its availability and final specifications remain subject to clarification.
The unveiling comes nearly nine years after Tesla first introduced the second-generation Roadster in 2017.
The company had initially planned to begin deliveries in 2020, but production was repeatedly delayed.
Tesla is now targeting production in 2028, extending the wait for customers who have reserved the high-performance electric car.
The Roadster carries symbolic importance for Tesla as a high-performance vehicle intended to showcase its engineering capabilities, even as the company increasingly focuses on artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and robotics.
The original Roadster, launched in 2008, was Tesla’s first electric vehicle and helped establish the company’s reputation in the electric car market.