Tesla Shows Off Flying Roadster 2 Prototype With Cold-Gas Thrusters and 2028 Target

Tesla demonstrated an updated prototype of its second-generation Roadster during a livestreamed event on the evening of October 15, 2026, using an unmanned run at a SpaceX test facility in McGregor, Texas, to stage a midair jump and flip. The showcase moved the long-delayed electric sports car's production target to 2028 while introducing major hardware modifications.

The McGregor Aerial Demonstration

The demonstration vehicle operated without a human driver inside. During the run, the car accelerated up a curved ramp until upside down, launched into the air, completed an aerial rotation guided by cold-gas thrusters, and landed back on the pavement.

"Well, it worked," Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said on stage after the vehicle touched down. "The car has obviously altitude control thrusters and main thrusters in the rear, so it can basically fly like a rocket, and it could do rolls." Lars Moravy, Tesla vice president of vehicle engineering, described the demonstration by stating that "flying cars are real."

Tesla confirmed the prototype uses cold-gas thrusters fed by an ultra-high-pressure air tank developed from SpaceX rocket hardware. The chassis also incorporates steer-by-wire steering, an automatically adjustable rear wing, and high-powered underbody suction fans. Motor1 reported that those suction fans are engineered to pull the car toward the track surface to produce up to 2 g of additional cornering force.

Sharper Styling and Shifting Specifications

The vehicle shown in Texas departs significantly from the original prototype shown in November 2017. Tesla replaced the original concept car's rounded exterior with an angular, cyberfied design language.

Cabin packaging has also changed. Although the 2017 concept was announced as a four-seater promising a top speed above 250 mph and 620 miles of range, the McGregor prototype has been altered into a two-seat vehicle. During the broadcast, Tesla displayed a recorded demonstration claiming an acceleration time from zero to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds. Musk stated that the car currently reaches a top speed of 230 mph, adding that the team hopes to exceed that figure before production begins.

Musk also positioned the sports car as an exception within Tesla's planned vehicle lineup. "This will actually be long term the only manually driven car that Tesla makes," Musk said. "So if it's going to be the only manually driven car, let's take it to the limits and beyond the limits."

Street Legality and the 2028 Production Horizon

Tesla now targets 2028 to start customer production. That timetable marks the latest delay for reservation holders, who placed deposits starting in late 2017 at $50,000 for standard versions and $250,000 for Founders Series reservations.

Significant regulatory and engineering hurdles remain unanswered. Asked directly whether the thruster-equipped car could legally travel on public streets, Musk replied: "Depends on your street. It'll be a viable car."

Motor vehicle regulators have not certified the use of high-pressure rocket thrusters or jump mechanisms for road travel, and sustained aerial operation would involve oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration. Tesla did not publish final customer pricing, confirmed battery pack sizes, or updated range estimates during the event.

Rivals Respond in the Low-Altitude Race

The Texas display prompted a response from aeronautics startup Alef Aeronautics, which published footage of its Model A flying car traveling over a Tesla Roadster to mark its 1,000th logged flight.

"Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race; we've been here alone for eleven years," said Alef chief executive Jim Dukhovny. Alef's Model A carries an expected starting price of $299,999 and has conducted testing under experimental flight permissions, focusing on vertical takeoff and winged forward travel.

Tesla must now reconcile its stunt platform with automotive crash regulations, aviation restrictions, and the expectations of buyers awaiting production deliveries after nearly a decade of delays.