Tesla's 'Flying' Roadster: A Decade of Hype, Delays, and SpaceX Thrusters

In November 2017, Tesla unveiled a prototype of the next-generation Roadster, promising 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds and a 2020 delivery date. Nearly a decade later, those promises remain unfulfilled. The Roadster has become a symbol of Tesla's ambitious promises and repeated delays.

Tesla first revealed the next-generation Roadster in 2017 and collected $50,000 deposits for the standard version and $250,000 for the Founder's Series. The program has missed at least eight internal deadlines since its announcement.

In 2024, Elon Musk said the company "radically increased the design goals" for the Roadster. Now, according to a report from The Information, Tesla is planning to unveil the redesigned Roadster as early as August 2026, with a dramatic demonstration at SpaceX's testing facility in McGregor, Texas.

The SpaceX Collaboration

The Roadster will be equipped with SpaceX-developed cold-gas thrusters, a technology that could allow the vehicle to fly. This collaboration represents the deepening integration between Tesla and SpaceX, which are also co-investing in Terafab, a Texas AI-chip facility.

The version planned for the stunt is internally code-named with thruster package 'A71'. It will be remotely operated with no driver inside because of the noise and force generated by the thrusters. Spectators will be positioned several hundred yards from the vehicle due to the potential for hearing damage from the high-pressure gas thrusters.

The Evolution of the Roadster

In 2022, two groups inside Tesla's design studio were working on completely different cars. One team was building a Roadster based on Model S Plaid components, while the other started from scratch around an ultralight carbon fiber tub. Musk selected the carbon fiber approach and told staff to "do it correctly or not at all."

This decision committed Tesla to building a real hypercar, requiring engineering expertise the company didn't have. Tesla hired engineers from Italy, including Stefan Nothdurfter, a former head of body engineering at Lamborghini.

Design chief Franz von Holzhausen wanted the car to evoke the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, which is where the A-71 code name comes from. By 2025, the design had settled into something more conservative that pulled from earlier Countach-inspired work, and Tesla built a running two-seat prototype with butterfly doors late last year.

The Demonstration

The demonstration is planned for SpaceX's rocket test site in McGregor, Texas. The car will be remotely operated during the demonstration because of the noise and force generated by the SpaceX thrusters.

A few months ago, the plan was a lot wilder. Tesla wanted the Roadster to race up a magnetized roller-coaster-style ramp, drive upside down, right itself, and hover. That version was previewed to Musk, delayed, and has since been cut back.

"We started off thinking we were almost making an aircraft and ended up with something closer to hovering." — Person with knowledge of the program

Musk has been managing expectations internally. He told staff in recent weeks that the demo will be hard to pull off and could go wrong, but that it will be entertaining either way.

The Limited Edition

The limited-edition model Tesla plans to demonstrate in Texas won't be street legal and could carry a price tag in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even into the millions.

Tesla has internally discussed selling the track-only demonstration car through a program modeled on Ferrari's XX Programme, where owners drive race cars under supervision. The car will carry SpaceX branding.

What This Means for Tesla

The Roadster demonstration represents the convergence of Tesla's electric vehicle ambitions and SpaceX's aerospace engineering. It's a showcase of what's possible when two of the most innovative companies in the world collaborate.

For Tesla's stock, the Roadster remains more symbol than revenue driver. Tesla posted a sharp drop in profitability in its most recent quarter, with GAAP operating income falling 57% year over year. The Roadster reveal is a rare positive narrative catalyst for a stock that has shed nearly a quarter of its value in 2026.

The Roadster is Tesla's original halo car. It was the vehicle that put Tesla on the map and proved that electric cars could be fast, desirable, and fun. A flying Roadster would cement Tesla's reputation as a company that pushes boundaries—even if the vehicle itself is not commercially viable.

Key Facts at a Glance

What's Next

The Unknowns:

• Whether Tesla will stream the event live or release edited footage afterward
• Which elements of the demonstration will ultimately be shown
• When the standard Roadster will actually reach customers

The Takeaway:

The flying Roadster is, at its core, a marketing stunt. But it's a stunt that represents the culmination of nearly a decade of ambition, delay, and engineering. Whether it succeeds or fails, it will be entertaining. And that, perhaps, is the point.

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