Tesla finally showed the world its next Roadster on Thursday night, October 15. The reveal took place at the SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas. It looked more like an air show than a car launch.
The prototype began by driving up a towering curved ramp that bent back over itself. A fan system under the car pulled it against the track with up to twice the force of gravity. That grip let the car cling to the ramp while it was upside down.
At the top, the car let go. Cold-gas thrusters, which push out bursts of stored compressed air instead of burning fuel, lifted it into the air. The car rolled in midair and drifted down to the pavement in a cloud of white vapor. A second run sent it flying over a Tesla Semi, a Cybertruck, a Cybercab, a Model Y, and a Model 3.
Elon Musk summed it up for the crowd. "So it can basically fly like a rocket," he said. Earlier that day, he had posted on X that the new Roadster is "beyond movies, beyond imagination, beyond human, yet still made by humans on Earth."
The speed numbers were just as bold. Tesla says the car reached 60 miles per hour in about one second on its first run. A second run was clocked at 0.81 seconds. Tesla engineering vice president Lars Moravy explained that 10 nozzles draw on about 600 liters of air stored in high-pressure tanks. The car can refill those tanks on its own.
Tesla now lists three versions on its website. Performance is the road car. Thrust adds rear thrusters for the track. Rocket adds thrusters around the whole body and seats only the driver. That version is invite only. Tesla notes that the Rocket version is not approved for public roads. Musk says production starts in 2028. Tesla has not announced a price for the car yet. You can watch the full presentation on Tesla's livestream on X.
The bigger story is what two Texas companies can build together. Tesla designed the car. SpaceX supplied the thrusters and the suction fans. Engineers took ideas from rockets and put them on four wheels. That kind of cross-team problem solving is happening right here in our state.
The same spirit works for any business. New tools arrive faster every year. The companies that come out ahead test ideas before they bet on them. Your technology should give your team room to try new things with confidence.
Athens companies that want their computers, network, and security ready for what comes next can start with a Free Assessment from My I.T. Consultants. Call 903-675-5431 to set it up. Hourly work is available during our posted weekday hours, and contract customers are covered 24/7.
Image: Tesla
