After just under a decade of waiting since the initial Tesla Roadster concept’s claims, we now have the real thing. While the stats of the concept seemed unbelievable all those years ago, they’ve become more normalized in the age of superfast EVs, so Tesla is going a slightly different route to thrill people. Flying. Using SpaceX technology, the Roadster can jump, drive upside down, and apparently hit 60 miles per hour in under a second. Here’s every angle of the new Tesla Roadster concept below.
Base Trim Engine
Electric
Base Trim Transmission
single-speed
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
1,360 hp
Segment
Sports Car
2028 Tesla Roadster front 3/4Tesla
The 2028 Tesla Roadster exterior looks completely different to the first concepts from 2017 thanks to an angular and minimalist exterior design.
2028 Tesla Roadster exterior.Tesla
Tesla’s head designer, Franz von Holzhausen, said the company took inspiration from fighter aircraft and vintage supercars for the exterior of the new Tesla Roadster. It’s not really a roadster, though – the roof doesn’t come down.
New Tesla RoadsterTesla
The lights at the front of the 2028 Roadster remind us of the Lamborghini Reventon, while the rear light bars are similar to the Cybertruck or even the new Jaguar Type 01.
2028 Tesla Roadster exterior.Tesla
The rocket booster teaser was true – there are carbon fiber compressed air tanks storing 600 liters and 250 kilograms of air in place of the passenger seat in the top trim.
2028 Tesla Roadster exterior details.Tesla
This air is released through thrusters positioned throughout the exterior of the 2028 Roadster. This will allegedly give the Roadster a sub-second 0-60 mile per hour time.
With these boosters, the Roadster is able to ‘fly’ over traffic and flip in the air, something that was shown in the reveal event.
2028 Tesla Roadster exterior.Tesla
There is no word on the actual powertrain, range, or motor arrangement yet, but getting a good view of the exterior and interior of the new Tesla Roadster is enough to whet the appetite.
Like the McMurtry Spierling, the Tesla Roadster can drive upside down thanks to a fan producing downforce. Tesla said this setup produced 4,000 lbs of downforce at the event.
2028 Tesla Roadster front seat view from driver’s sideTesla
The 2028 Roadster interiori is pure Tesla with a single central screen controlling the car’s functions. There is also a yoke steering wheel and no side mirrors.
2028 Tesla Roadster front row seatsTesla
The new Tesla Roadster seats are very low to the floor and highly bolstered, likely to help keep the passengers stable during the party tricks.
2028 Tesla Roadster front seat view from passenger sideTesla
With only two seats inside the new Tesla Roadster, and large dimensions, the thruster components will likely turn this into a one-seater. There’s no word how this impacts range or weight, yet.
2028 Tesla Roadster mechanical details.Tesla
Like the powertrain, the drivetrain is a complete mystery. We do know that the steering, braking, and accelerating are all done by wire like the Cybertruck.
2028 Tesla Roadster interior.Tesla
Not only does the Tesla Roadster apparently achieve a 0-60 mph time of under one second, but it can also accelerate all the way to 230 miles per hour.
To keep the unbroken straight lines of its design language, Tesla uses a deployable aero kit instead of a fixed one. Exatly when it deploys has yet to be established, but different driving modes are likely.
2028 Tesla Roadster close-up view of seat headrestTesla
This supercar is said to go into production in 2028, although Tesla has a history of being late with products.
View More Tesla Roadster Images:
Sources: Tesla