Tesla Showed a Sports Car That Can Jump Over Other Cars
Tesla has revealed a new Roadster sports car fitted with SpaceX thrusters. CEO Elon Musk showed the car at an event outside Waco, Texas, and said the vehicle shown will be the actual car sold for road use, according to TechCrunch.
The demo focused on thrust-assisted moves rather than normal track driving. Using high-powered fans and thrusters, the Roadster drove up an inverted ramp, spun in the air, and landed on pavement. In a separate test, it lifted over a line of moving Tesla vehicles, clearing a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y and Model 3 while they were in motion.
Tesla also ran the car from 0-60 miles per hour in one second. Production is planned for 2028.
Engineering detail came from Tesla engineering VP Lars Moravy. He said the car uses 10 thrusters linked to 600 liters of compressed air to lift and spin in mid-air, with a tank that can be refilled for repeated use. The system is pneumatic, not combustion based. It pushes out cold gas, like letting air out of a large scuba tank to make push.
Tesla will offer three versions named Performance, Thrust and Rocket. Performance seats two and is described as road ready, with active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system that holds the car to the road. Thrust also seats two and is described as race ready, with rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters for sub-one-second 0-60 times. Rocket seats one and is described as air ready, with 10 cold-gas thrusters placed around the car.
All three are listed with 300 miles of range and capability of over 230 miles per hour. Tesla is taking reservations, charging $50,000 to reserve Performance and $250,000 for Thrust. The Rocket version is invite-only. Musk also said Tesla may try to jump Snake River Canyon with the Roadster.
From an engineering view, the hard task is fit. A 600-liter air tank plus valves, pipes for 10 thrusters, cooling for the battery, and a frame strong enough for landings must all fit in a small one- or two-seat car. The suction and airflow systems add more complexity, since the car must stay pressed to the road and also lift in a controlled way when thrust is on.
In my view, the three-way split is the most telling part. By separating a road-ready car from a race-ready car and an air-ready car, Tesla is accepting that one control method and one set of road rules cannot cover all three uses. A short push for launch is one job. Sustained lift, balance in mid-air and landing are different jobs, with different risks, service needs and approval questions.
Looking ahead to 2028, what matters is what was not given. Recharge time and cycle life for the air system, thrust strength in different weather, tire and suspension behavior under combined loads, and what will be allowed on public roads will decide how much of the Waco demo reaches a buyer. None of those were specified in the reveal.
The broader context here is hopeful for electric performance cars. Electric motors already changed expectations for fast starts. Airflow control and suction are now proven tools for grip. Air thrust, if it can be made refillable, repeatable and safe near other cars and people, would add a third control option. The Roadster program will test whether that option fits on the road, on closed tracks, or in short controlled jumps.
