Tesla Roadster finally revealed with SpaceX thrusters and 0.81 second claim

Key takeaways

• Tesla claims 0-97km/h in 0.81 seconds using rear-firing air thrusters
• Production is due in 2028, with no Australian pricing or timing
• Revealed nearly nine years after the concept promised 2020 deliveries

Tesla has finally revealed its new Roadster, almost nine years after the original concept and six years past its promised 2020 delivery date. Shown overnight at a livestreamed event in the US, the two-seat electric sports car now uses thruster technology from SpaceX to chase a claimed 0-97km/h (0-60mph) time of 0.81 seconds.

That figure is less than half the 1.9 seconds Tesla quoted for the 2017 concept, and the company says it will make the Roadster the quickest production car to 97km/h.

The project slipped repeatedly as Tesla focused on higher-volume models such as the Model Y.

How the Roadster’s thrusters and suction fan work

The thrusters run on onboard air tanks, which Tesla says can be recompressed without using fuel. They sit underneath and at the rear of the car, so they can fire backwards for extra acceleration or downwards to lift the car and soften its landing.

During the reveal, the Roadster launched off the top of a half-pipe, jumped a row of parked cars and lifted off from a standstill. A mannequin was behind the wheel for the demonstration.

A fan suction system under the floor pulls the car onto the road surface. Tesla claims up to 2g of cornering grip, and the fan held the Roadster in place as it drove upside down around the half-pipe.

Elon Musk conceded before the demonstration that it is not yet clear whether the car will be street legal, adding that “success is not guaranteed”.

Tesla Roadster design and equipment

• Two-seat coupe with a fixed hard top, despite the Roadster name
• Scissor doors and a deployable rear spoiler
• Seats moulded directly to the chassis
• Steer-by-wire, replacing the mechanical steering link with electronic controls

Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen says the angular styling takes its cues from aerospace design.

The Roadster also sits apart from the rest of Tesla’s line-up, which is moving towards autonomous driving. Musk said at the reveal: “This will actually be long-term the only manually driven car that Tesla makes.”

Tesla says Roadster production will start in 2028. Pricing, final specifications and Australian availability have not been announced, and the next thing to watch is whether the thrusters reach customer cars in road-legal form.