Elon Musk Delighted After Unveiling Tesla Roadster 'Flying Car'

Elon Musk expressed his satisfaction after unveiling the redesigned Tesla Roadster, a new electric supercar that he claims can achieve 60 mph in under a second and fly.

During an event at a SpaceX site in McGregor, Texas, Musk announced that the next-generation Roadster "can basically fly like a rocket," perform "rolls," and "crazy gymnastics." He delivered his three-word reaction, "Well it worked," alongside Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy and Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen after the vehicle's demonstration concluded without incident.

Musk described the concept as something he initially thought was "crazy" but teased that the vehicle surpasses anything seen in James Bond films. He invited the audience to witness the car firsthand, stating, "what you see with your eyes, you will not believe." He emphasized the collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX engineers in creating the vehicle.

The demonstration included the car driving upside down on a curved ramp, utilizing a suction system. Moravy explained that a fan suction system on the car's underside can generate up to 2Gs of force, enabling it to adhere to surfaces upside down. He added that SpaceX technology was integrated to facilitate the car's other maneuvers.

Moravy also humorously described the car's suction power as capable of sucking "the chrome off a trailer hitch" and "a tennis ball through a hose pipe."

Tesla's Roadster is noted as being its only manually driven car. The vehicle, which did not have a human driver during the demonstration due to Musk's reluctance to "kill anyone," used built-in thrusters for landing.

The car, equipped with a steer-by-wire system, then performed a "kick-flip" maneuver. It accelerated towards a truck and other Tesla vehicles before thrusting upward approximately 21 feet, rotating in the air, and landing. The vehicle is said to reach a top speed of 230 mph and has a battery range of at least 300 miles.

A zero to 60 mph test recorded a time of 0.81 seconds. Musk speculated that the car could potentially exceed its top speed, aiming for Mach 0.5, or half the speed of sound.

Following the event, Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Turns out the future does have flying cars," acknowledging the achievement.

He had previously hinted at the flying car concept during an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, describing the demonstration as potentially "the most memorable product unveil ever."

Production is slated to begin in 2028. A "performance" version will require a $50,000 deposit, while a "Thrust" version with acceleration thrusters will need a $250,000 deposit.

Musk addressed the legality of the car on public roads, acknowledging that it might not be legal in all jurisdictions but expressed confidence that "there will be such a car that someone can own" and that it would be a "viable car" depending on the street.

The new Roadster is being launched 18 years after the original Roadster, Tesla's first electric vehicle. The company is also focusing on artificial intelligence-driven self-driving technology and robotics, having recently stopped sales of its Model S and X cars.