Tesla has also said that the Roadster can accelerate from 0-60mph in less than a second. And during the event, the company claimed it did so in 0.81 seconds. Musk explained that increasing the applied force while reducing the vehicle\u2019s mass help boost acceleration. In fact, Musk says the production Roadster should improve on the demonstrated result, although he acknowledged the extreme forces involved and the need to avoid subjecting occupants to extreme acceleration.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to crack halfway to the speed of sound, I think,\u201d Musk teased. \u201cMach 0.5. Maybe a little higher.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the event, Tesla updated its website with details about the three distinct performance tiers for the next-generation Roadster, outlining how its controversial cold-gas thruster systems scale across the lineup:<\/p>\n
Performance (Road Ready): The entry-level variant seats two passengers and relies on an active aerodynamics package paired with a multi-mode suction system to maximize downforce on and off the track. It claims a 0\u201360 mph time under 1.6 seconds and a target range exceeding 300 miles.Thrust (Race Ready): Also a two-seater, this mid-tier version pairs the multi-mode suction system with rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters. The additional propulsion cuts the vehicle\u2019s 0\u201360 mph acceleration to under 0.9 seconds. Tesla says this configuration will be in \u201climited release.\u201dRocket (Air Ready): The single-seat flagship model expands the hardware to a full perimeter-mounted array of cold-gas thrusters. In addition to driving forward and upward acceleration, the thrusters enable lateral and rotational movement in midair \u2014 enabling the short, low-altitude stunts showcased at the event. This top-spec version reaches a top speed over 230 mph and pushes 0\u201360 mph acceleration to under 0.59 seconds. Tesla says this version will be \u201cinvite only,\u201d but also \u201cnot approved for public road use.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next-gen Roadster certainly took the scenic route in getting here. A prototype version was announced as a \u201cone more thing\u201d style surprise during the 2017 Tesla Semi event<\/a>. The specs sounded ludicrous even back then: 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, a top speed over 250 mph, a 200 kWh battery delivering up to 620 miles of range, and a $200,000 starting price tag. Musk said deliveries would start in 2020, which sounded perfectly doable at the time.<\/p>\n Early adopters quickly threw down $50,000 deposits (or $250,000 for the limited Founders Series), effectively interest-free loans to help fund Tesla\u2019s scaling ambitions. But then Tesla seemed to forget about the Roadster, as cementing its status as the ultimate vaporware<\/a>. Production deadlines slipped as Tesla prioritized mass-market vehicles like the Model Y, while also wrestling with the overly complicated Cybertruck. Occasionally, when Musk would remember that the Roadster existed, he would up the ante about its capabilities. This culminated in the \u201cSpaceX package\u201d that would equip the supercar with cold-gas thrusters, bestowing hover powers and a 0-60 time under one second.<\/p>\n Musk has also sought to downplay the Roadster\u2019s significance, calling it a \u201csmall potato situation\u201d that will not \u201cmove the needle in a major way financially.\u201d He\u2019s framed the supercar more as a joint engineering collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, even questioning whether it\u2019s \u201ceven a car anymore\u201d given its experimental nature. Some analysts theorize that the decision to re-release the Roadster is an attempt to set the stage for a rumored Tesla-SpaceX merger<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tesla\u2019s failure to bring the Roadster to market allowed other automakers to slip past the company with their own hyper-powered EVs. Rimac has smashed performance records with the Nevera, Porsche has refined electric performance with the Taycan, and Chinese giants like BYD are producing track-ready supercars at a fraction of the cost. The Roadster is no longer shocking the world as an impossible prototype; it\u2019s playing catch-up to an industry that spent nine years building what Tesla merely rendered.<\/p>\n But then again, none of those cars flew.<\/p>\n Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew J. HawkinsClose Andrew J. Hawkins<\/p>\n Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All by Andrew J. Hawkins<\/a><\/p>\n Electric CarsClose<\/p>\n Electric Cars<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Electric Cars<\/a><\/p>\n NewsClose<\/p>\n News<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All News<\/a><\/p>\n ScienceClose<\/p>\n Science<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Science<\/a><\/p>\n SpaceClose<\/p>\n Space<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Space<\/a><\/p>\n SpaceXClose<\/p>\n SpaceX<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All SpaceX<\/a><\/p>\n TeslaClose<\/p>\n Tesla<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ANDREW_HAWKINS.0.jpg\"\/)
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