In short: Tesla revealed its next-generation Roadster on the evening of 15 October 2026 (US time) at SpaceX’s test site in McGregor, Texas. There are three versions: Performance, Thrust and Rocket, the last of which can fly but is not approved for public roads. Elon Musk said production will start in 2028. Tesla hasn’t announced a price for any version, and there is no confirmed UK delivery date or right-hand drive model.
What happened at the launch
The event was livestreamed from SpaceX’s rocket test site near Waco, with Musk joined by designer Franz von Holzhausen and vehicle engineering vice president Lars Moravy, CNBC reported. The Verge said the whole show ran for less than 30 minutes and felt “more like a stunt show than a product reveal”.
A white two-seat prototype drove up a tall curved ramp and clung to it upside down using its underbody suction fans, then flipped off the top and landed using thrusters, according to Reuters. Later it jumped over a line of other Tesla models, twisting in the air as it went.
Musk was candid about the stunts. “This is not necessarily a safety-optimized car,” he said on stage, CNBC reported. Car and Driver quoted him saying: “I’m not sure it’s necessarily legal in all jurisdictions, but there will be such a car that someone can own.”
The three versions
Tesla’s Roadster page and reservation page list three versions. The acceleration figures below are Tesla’s claims, published in a thread on X after the event and reported by Electrek.
- Performance: “road ready”, two seats, active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system. Tesla claims 0 to 60mph in under 1.6 seconds. Available by reservation.
- Thrust: “race ready”, two seats, adds four rear cold-gas thrusters. Tesla claims under 0.9 seconds to 60mph. Limited release.
- Rocket: “air ready”, one seat, adds thrusters around the car for lift and rotation. Tesla claims under 0.59 seconds to 60mph and over 230mph. Invite only, and Tesla’s own page says: “Not approved for public road use.”
Elon Musk added his own comparison on X on 18 October, saying the new Roadster “accelerates faster than a fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier”. That is his claim, not a test result. We will treat every performance figure as a claim until the car has been tested independently.
Tesla says the suction system can hold the car upside down “even when stationary”. The thrusters run on compressed air rather than rocket fuel: The Verge reported two tanks holding about 250kg of air, which the car can refill itself. Tesla quotes a range of over 300 miles. During the demo, Tesla’s timer showed a 60mph run of about 0.8 seconds, which Car and Driver and The Verge both reported as a claimed figure.
Anything else announced?
Not really. No other products were launched. The main extra message came from Musk and Tesla on X: the Roadster is pitched as “The last best driver’s car”, and Musk said it will be the last Tesla designed to be driven by a human, CNBC reported. It won’t get Tesla’s FSD driver assistance system.
What we still don’t know
Tesla didn’t give a price for any version. Reuters noted that Tesla quoted a $200,000 base price for the 2017 prototype, but that figure hasn’t been repeated. Musk’s 2028 production target is just that: CNBC points out that Tesla has missed every previous Roadster delivery date since 2017, when it promised cars by 2020.
What it means for UK buyers
- Reservations are open in the UK. Tesla’s UK page asks for £5,000 now, which it calls fully refundable, and £45,000 within 10 days for the Performance car. That is a reservation, not a price. Tesla says refunds won’t be issued for modifications.
- No UK price. Tesla hasn’t published a purchase price in pounds for any version.
- No UK delivery date. The only timing is Musk’s 2028 production target.
- Right-hand drive isn’t confirmed. Tesla hasn’t said it will build a right-hand drive Roadster.
- UK road use isn’t confirmed. Tesla says Rocket isn’t approved for public roads and isn’t available in all regions. It hasn’t said which versions will be approved for UK roads.
If you’re tempted, read the reservation terms carefully first.
When does the new Tesla Roadster come out?
Elon Musk said production will start in 2028. Tesla hasn’t given a UK delivery date.
How much is the new Tesla Roadster in the UK?
Tesla hasn’t announced a price. Its UK reservation page asks for £5,000 now and £45,000 within 10 days for the Performance version, but that is a reservation, not the purchase price.
Can the new Tesla Roadster really fly?
Only the invite-only Rocket version, which Tesla says is not approved for public road use. At the launch it lifted off, rolled in the air and landed, using compressed-air thrusters.
Sources
- Roadster and Reserve your Roadster, Tesla UK, read 19 October 2026
- Tesla posts on X, Tesla, 16 October 2026
- Tesla’s new Roadster turns in air with SpaceX thrusters, won’t land until 2028, Reuters via Investing.com, 15 October 2026
- Tesla unveils long-delayed Roadster developed with SpaceX, CNBC, 15 October 2026
- The Tesla Roadster flew, drove upside down, and hit 60mph in under a second, The Verge, 16 October 2026
- Tesla unveils Cyberfied new Roadster that can kickflip, Electrek, 15 October 2026
- Revealed! New Tesla Roadster takes flight with SpaceX thrusters, Car and Driver, 16 October 2026
- Tesla finally unveils its new Roadster, CAR magazine, 16 October 2026
Last checked: 19 October 2026
Pictured: the original 2008 Tesla Roadster, not the new car. Image credit: Rutger van der Maar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.
