Musk Unveils Flying Tesla Roadster at SpaceX Site

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Elon Musk unveiled a flying Tesla Roadster at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas, during an event on Thursday. The electric vehicle, capable of flying, flipping, and driving upside down, was demonstrated to a live audience, with Tesla livestreaming the performance. The car, controlled remotely and using a steer-by-wire system, employs four cold gas thruster (CGT) nozzles adapted from SpaceX technology to achieve its aerial maneuvers.

Acrobatic Demonstrations and Safety Measures

In one demonstration, the flying Roadster accelerated toward a line of Tesla vehicles before taking off vertically and flying over them. Musk described the car as being able to “fly like a rocket” and showcased its capabilities, including rolls and “crazy gymnastics.” The car also drove upside down along a curved ramp, with Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy explaining that a fan suction system on the car can generate up to 2Gs of force, allowing it to maintain an upside-down position. Moravy credited SpaceX for part of the system and noted the car’s “sucking” power, joking that it could “suck the chrome off a trailer hitch” or “suck a tennis ball through a hose pipe.”

Collaboration Between Tesla and SpaceX

Present at the event was Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen. After the stunts concluded without incident, Musk turned to Moravy and von Holzhausen, stating, “Well it worked.” Musk emphasized the importance of having a live audience to prove that the demonstration was not AI or SI, saying, “You guys can tell people that you saw it with your eyes.” He framed the car as a joint achievement of Tesla and SpaceX, stating, “You’re going to see what happens when you have a collaboration with the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company.” He also compared the car to James Bond vehicles, calling it “better than any James Bond car.”

Technical Specs and Legal Considerations

Musk noted that skipping a human driver was a safety measure, as a mistake could “kill anyone.” The Roadster will have a top speed of up to 230 mph and offer at least 300 miles of range, though Musk suggested it could potentially reach speeds up to Mach 0.5. The car will be Tesla’s only manually driven model, with two versions available: a “Performance” version requiring a $50,000 deposit and a “Thrust” version with CGT technology requiring a $250,000 deposit. Production is set to begin in 2028. Musk also acknowledged an unresolved legal question, stating, “You know I’m not necessarily sure it’s legal in all jurisdictions.”