What do you get when you combine a Space X rocket with a Tesla? Actual flying cars
Tesla's Roadster concept was demonstrated in a typically flamboyant style that saw it doing flips in the air
Quick Summary
Tesla demonstrated its Roadster concept with some jaw-dropping stunts, seeing the car climb vertical walls, perform back flips and fly through the air before setting a sub-one-second 0-60mph.
A shiny sports car sits at the bottom of a piece of track that extends vertically like some kind of fairground ride. After a short countdown, the car speeds up at an angle beyond 90 degrees, to the point where it leaves the tarmac and flies through the air.
It's at this jaw-dropping point where jet thrusters fire from underneath the car, righting it and then guiding its descent to the ground – much like one of the SpaceX rockets returning to the pad.
Elon Musk had promised back in 2018 that his next-generation Roadster would have rocket thrusters to improve acceleration, but no one quite believed him.
It's a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, and it uses compressed air to fire the 10 thrusters under the car, much like a SpaceX rocket uses rocket fuel when landing.
As well as providing the car the ability to essentially fly, the cold-gas thrusters can be used to give the Roadster rock-like acceleration, which Tesla also demonstrated with a 0-60mph of 0.82 seconds.
The Roadster, then, is finally here. With a design that draws more from the Cybertruck and Cybercab than anything previous, it's a great-looking car, with dihedral doors, an active aero spoiler and an Ano White paint finish that makes it look like a space shuttle.
There's little detail on the full specs of this car, other than it's electric, but there are three models now listed on the Tesla website: a Performance model, which is presumably the standard road car, but still with a suction system to maximise downforce; Thrust, which uses the cold-gas thrusters to provide that sub-one-second acceleration; and Rocket, which provides the full flying experience.
The Rocket model is available by invitation only, and Musk acknowledged that many of these features might not be legal in every market. The fact that the Cybertruck was never cleared for UK roads means even the standard Performance Roadster isn't guaranteed.
Either way, it was an impressive performance and a glimpse of what is possible for cars if money and rules are no object. Tesla can never be accused of not pushing the envelope. Without them, I doubt electric cars would be as popular as they are today.
So who knows, maybe in 20 years' time, we'll all be driving cars with gas thrusters in them, to help us leapfrog traffic.
