Tesla unveils next generation Roadster sports EV with SpaceX thrusters

Business Recorder reported that Tesla on Thursday displayed a reworked Roadster fitted with thrusters, close to nine years after previewing the successor to its electric sports model. The company set 2028 as the year production is due to start. The two-seater was created with Elon Musk's rocket firm SpaceX, and during the event the car was shown moving inverted along a ramp, held in place by suction, before turning mid-air and landing on its built-in thrusters.

Musk has previously downplayed the car's effect on Tesla's finances, and executives gave no target prices at the event. A reservation page lists a Performance version that needs a $50,000 deposit, while the Thrust variant, which includes acceleration thrusters, needs $250,000 upfront. A single-seat Rocket variant, described by Tesla as invite only, comes with a full flight system.

The Roadster carries symbolic weight as a planned halo car, even as Tesla moves its focus toward AI-led self-driving and robotics. The company stopped selling Model S and X vehicles this year to free capacity for Optimus humanoid robots, and it also launched the Cybercab, a two-seater robotaxi without steering wheel, pedals or mirrors. Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein expects Tesla to sell around 2,000 Roadsters a year, compared with 1.6 million vehicles sold last year.