Countdown to Tesla's Missile-Style Car Unveiling: Will the Roadster Really Fly?

If everything goes according to plan, Tesla will unveil the new generation of its Roadster tomorrow. The car may be equipped with SpaceX rocket propulsion and could even lift off the ground.

According to Ambassador Arjan, according to American aviation regulations, a device that rises even a few centimeters from the ground may also be classified as an aircraft. Newer regulations for electric vehicles with vertical take-off and landing capabilities also include restrictions on their flight paths.

If the Roadster can actually take off, we're likely to see hovering or short, controlled jumps, rather than a car that moves through the sky like a vertical fighter. Of course, it is not yet clear what exactly Tesla will show at the unveiling ceremony.

Rocket engines in a sports car!

According to Motortrend, the core technology of the SpaceX package is cold gas propulsion. Unlike conventional rocket engines, these propellants do not burn fuel to produce thrust, but rather send high-pressure gas out of nozzles.

Elon Musk's previous comments on the X social network indicate that the Roadster may be equipped with an internal compressor and compressed air tank. The stored gas can be released from multiple nozzles and help accelerate, brake, corner and perhaps lift the car off the ground. SpaceX uses similar thrusters to control the direction and attitude of the Falcon 9 rocket stages and Starship prototypes.

If Musk's statements are anything to go by, the SpaceX package may house up to 10 small thrusters in various parts of the vehicle. However, the final price of the roadster and the cost of this package have not yet been determined.

Will the roadster be the fastest car in the world?

For the base version of the Roadster, without cold gas engines, Tesla has proposed acceleration from 0 to 96 km/h in less than two seconds. The addition of SpaceX engines may improve this performance and make the Roadster one of the fastest cars in the world.

It's not just acceleration. A video has been published on the X social network that shows the Roadster being tested for floating in the air. If the images are real, the car will reach a considerable height. However, the exact height and length of time the vehicle remained in the air is not known.

Car control in the air is another important question. One possibility is to adjust the thrust of the engines to change the direction of the vehicle. Musk also said that the car's on-board computer might be able to help it change its position in the air by driving the wheels and electric motors. The technical details of these methods are still unclear.

After nearly a decade of waiting, it's time to answer

In addition to possible flight capabilities, the roadster will probably be offered with a claimed battery capacity of 200 kWh, a range of about 1,000 km, a possible maximum speed of nearly 402 km/h, acceleration from 0 to 96 km/h in less than two seconds.

These figures have not yet been confirmed and the actual performance of the car should be determined in tests. Enthusiasts have been speculating about the capabilities of the new generation roadster for nearly a decade. According to MotorTrend, some of these questions will finally be answered on October 15, 2026 at 7:55 PM CST.

If Tesla can deliver on its promises, the Roadster may go beyond just a super-fast electric car. But whether this car really flies or just takes off from the ground for a moment, is a matter that should be waited for the official show and its technical evidence.