Tesla has finally officially unveiled the electric sports car Roadster at an event in Texas. During the demonstration, the car accelerated to 60 mph (96.6 km/h) in a claimed 0.81 seconds, performed an aerial flip maneuver, and briefly lifted off the ground. The manufacturer developed the car in collaboration with SpaceX engineers.
The Roadster uses two systems for its unusual maneuvers. Fans create a vacuum under the chassis, increasing downforce enough for the car to hold onto an inclined surface and even drive on an inverted ramp. Compressed gas engines provide additional thrust and allow for aerial maneuvers. During the demonstration, the car was controlled remotely — without a person inside.
Tesla announced three variants of the model. The basic Performance is designed for public roads and should accelerate to 60 mph in less than 1.6 seconds. The Thrust version will receive gas engines and a claimed acceleration time of less than 0.9 seconds. The top-tier Rocket will be able to perform maneuvers that lift off the ground, however, this modification is not approved for use on public roads.
The Roadster is claimed to have a range of over 300 miles (about 483 km), and the top speed of the Rocket version should exceed 230 mph (370 km/h). These figures have been published by the manufacturer and have not yet been confirmed by independent tests of a production car. Tesla has not disclosed prices.
The Roadster was first shown in 2017, and production was originally planned to begin in 2020. Now the company names 2028. The spectacular demonstration confirmed the functionality of individual experimental solutions, but did not answer questions about production timelines, final characteristics, and the approval of special versions for operation.