# The New Tesla Roadster **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** elon-musk\ **Created:** [October 16, 2026, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875 "2026-10-16T03:09:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/1 "2026-10-16T03:09:47Z")
They did a demonstration of the new Tesla Roadster tonight, for which you can put down an initial $50,000 deposit so you will be in line when it theoretically comes out in two years. > **[Tesla Roadster Re-Reveal Promises New Design, Flight, Production In 2028 -...](https://www.jalopnik.com/2288450/tesla-roadster-rereveal-new-design-production-plans-for-flying-car/)** > > Remember the second-gen Tesla Roadster they kept promising for almost a decade? Well, forget waiting for that. The new Roadster is altogether weirder. **Only One Version Of The Tesla Roadster Will Be Able To Jump. And It’s Available By Invite Only** [https://insideevs.com/news/812156/tesla-roadster-thrusters/](https://insideevs.com/news/812156/tesla-roadster-thrusters/) > **[Tesla flying car: what the new Roadster can really do - TechCity](https://www.techcityng.com/tesla-flying-car-roadster/)** > > Tesla flying car explained: the new Roadster's three versions, which one can fly, why it is not road legal, and the $50,000 it costs to reserve one. Here is the event: > **[Roadster Event](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt5p-_tE8d0%2F)** > > Buckle up. https://www.tesla.com/roadster Even if you don’t watch that see this 30 second clip: > **[MUST WATCH! Tesla Demonstrates Roadster's Autonomous Flight System In An...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq6mjNtl-ZM%2F)** > > Thank you for joining us for the Tesla Roadster reveal event at SpaceX's Testing Facility in McGregor, Texas!LAUNCH DETAILS:- Company: Tesla- Launch Site: Mc... Unfortunately that requires the most expensive Rocket trim–which is only going to be available invite only. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/2 "2026-10-16T07:11:42Z")
Not watching any of those besides the 30sec youtube clip, but I did read the CNN article [https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/15/business/tesla-unveils-what-it-says-is-a-flying-car](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/15/business/tesla-unveils-what-it-says-is-a-flying-car) The “leap the old models” demo - the wheels on that thing look like mountain bike wheels in thickness…and that doesn’t look like the same car at all. I mean, the blink-or-you-miss-it loop-and-land thing was a neat staged trick, but … if anyone makes their car buying decisions off _that_, they deserve the fleecing they’re getting. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/3 "2026-10-16T09:46:18Z")
And the actual brain damage from the violent trashing inside that lift and roll. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/4 "2026-10-16T12:00:29Z")
But just think how easy it would be to parallel park in a tight space! I wouldn’t want my car to accidentally launch me into the air if i pressed the wrong button. Yeah, brain damage… And… Yeah, no. But i guess that’s the show-off version, and won’t actually be for sale, nor street legal. The one they actually plan to sell is just a car. Except for its boring color (white) and a few annoying interface quirks, I’m pretty happy with my Kia, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/5 "2026-10-16T12:38:24Z")
Seriously?! Any car that can fly is going to enter a world of complex legalities, and it is supposedly going to fit into a system that is absolutely NOT prepared to accommodate flying cars. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/6 "2026-10-16T12:50:49Z")
The flying one isn’t street legal. So, no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/7 "2026-10-16T12:52:04Z")
Ah, I see, it’s just an incredibly expensive toy for the fabulously rich. LOL ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/8 "2026-10-16T13:19:59Z")
OK, we need to stop humoring this bullshit. OBVIOUSLY there is not going to be a flying Roadster. The energy required, the volume of compressed air, none of this is remotely feasible while maintaining even the slightest semblance of a passenger vehicle. Flipping a car like this isn’t even impressive, engineers could have done this with 60’s technology. The only impressive thing is that they had so many off-the-shelf parts and cheap compute that they could throw this together as a joke. Do we think maybe that this is all a distraction from the fact that the Roadster has been nothing but empty promises for over a decade? That they’ve taken substantial deposits from customers while promising delivery starting in 2020? That they’ve continually teased, delivered nothing, missed deadlines, etc? I mean, every other automaker on the planet has demonstrated the ability to convert an existing passenger vehicle to a sporty 2-seater, usually in less than 2 years. Tesla has spent 12 years and produced nothing. Quit letting this idiot control the narrative to distract from his pathological lying. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/9 "2026-10-16T13:38:35Z")
The New York Times said it will be able to go 0-60 in one second. That’s crazy acceleration. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/10 "2026-10-16T13:47:20Z")
And also BS. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/11 "2026-10-16T13:48:36Z")
It’s nice to see that Tesla has zero interest in a mass market model. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/12 "2026-10-16T13:50:24Z")
Their only interest is keeping the stock price high so that xAI can keep borrowing money to burn. This is all so transparent it hurts. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/13 "2026-10-16T13:53:58Z")
Tesla doesn’t sell cars, it sell stocks. Were investors impressed by the demo? If so, mission accomplished. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/14 "2026-10-16T14:55:01Z")
That “flying car” thing was a stupid circus trick that even the Reddit fanboys are largely mocking. It clearly won’t be available on the production model whenever the hell that becomes available. Anyone who puts down a deposit on a future Tesla deserves what they get which is lengthy delays and a final product which is less than what was promised and there is no fucking chance it will go 0-60 in one second. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/15 "2026-10-16T15:08:51Z")
Harking back to my old comments about the Cybertruck, and that it actually DOES evoke a minor “It’s Cool” moment to those my age who grew up in the 80s… I saw the clip and immediately thought “Someone in the 80s watched a LOT of [Knight Rider](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Rider_(1982_TV_series)), obviously always wanted “[Turbo Boost](https://knight-rider.fandom.com/wiki/Turbo_Boost)” has no one to tell him NO” Have some peak 80’s 'Hoff in a stream of [unending Turbo boosts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOeods0XkZs). Works better in an indestructible car with complete disregard of the physics for the impact and passenger. ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/16 "2026-10-16T15:14:28Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Anyone who puts down a deposit on a future Tesla deserves what they get which is lengthy delays and a final product which is less than what was promised and there is no fucking chance it will go 0-60 in one second. 3g of acceleration will do wonders for the necks and other bits of future Roadster owners. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/17 "2026-10-16T16:13:03Z")
For a car manufacturer this would be a weird use of resources, but for a capital attractor it’s probably worth the investment. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/18 "2026-10-16T17:33:35Z")
I watched that crazy demo video. Never mind the gas thruster-powered roll and soft landing after the car drives off the ramp, how is it sticking to the underside of the ramp like that when it inverts? It doesn’t look like it’s driving fast enough to generate the centripetal force necessary. I guess they’ve solved the problem of “how are we ever going to be able to drive on a mobius strip?” 🙄 > [@ParallelLines](#): > > I saw the clip and immediately thought “Someone in the 80s watched a LOT of [Knight Rider](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Rider_(1982_TV_series)), obviously always wanted “[Turbo Boost](https://knight-rider.fandom.com/wiki/Turbo_Boost)” has no one to tell him NO” Yeah, Tesla’s whole thing is as if you took a 3rd grader from the 80s, gave them almost unlimited money and a team of engineers, and said “make whatever kinds of cars and trucks you want to; don’t worry about practicality”. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/19 "2026-10-16T17:46:56Z")
Guys, come on. Be serious. That was not a demo of a Tesla Roadster, because that wasn’t a real car. It was a prop. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875/20 "2026-10-16T18:27:24Z")
> [@solost](#): > > how is it sticking to the underside of the ramp like that when it inverts? Fans to create downforce greater than the car’s weight. Here’s a video about the McMurtry Spéirling, which uses the same technique, but that you can actually drive and buy (for £1,000,000). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xkXvL8YCtIE/maxresdefault.jpg "The Insane Engineering of the World's Fastest Car") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkXvL8YCtIE) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tesla-roadster/1033875.md?page=2)