Nine years after it first showed a Roadster concept, Tesla has finally revealed the production design, and it opened with the car lifting off the ground. In Tesla's own reveal videos, posted to X on the afternoon of 16 October (Melbourne time), a white two-door hovers on jets of gas, flips over and lands beside a Tesla Semi.
That's the headline. For anyone in Australia thinking about putting money down, the details matter more, and Tesla has published some of them.
Three cars, not one
Tesla is offering the Roadster in three configurations, and they're very different machines:
| Configuration | Seats | How it's sold | 0-60 mph (Tesla claim) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance: "road ready" | 2 | By reservation | under 1.6 s |
| Thrust: "race ready" | 2 | Limited release | under 0.9 s |
| Rocket: "air ready" | 1 | Invite only | under 0.59 s |
The Performance is the one most buyers would actually get. It uses active aerodynamics and what Tesla calls a multi-mode suction system: fans pull air out from under the car to create downforce, even at a standstill. Tesla says there's enough suction to hold the car upside down while stationary.
The Thrust adds cold-gas thrusters at the rear for launches. The Rocket puts thrusters around the whole body for upward and sideways movement. In Tesla's words, "So...yes, it can fly."
The numbers Tesla has confirmed
- Range: more than 300 miles (about 480 km). Tesla hasn't said which test standard this uses, so don't compare it directly with WLTP figures.
- Top speed: over 230 mph (about 370 km/h), quoted for the Rocket.
- Acceleration: Tesla's Australian page quotes 0-100 km/h in under one second for the Thrust.
- Construction: magnesium, titanium and carbon fibre, with a fixed seat position and manual controls to save weight.
- Cabin: a yoke with steer-by-wire, a centre touchscreen and two smaller forward displays.
- Design: Tesla says the look is inspired by the SR-71 and F-35 aircraft, and has moved on from the 2017 concept towards the style of Cybertruck and Cybercab.
Tesla hasn't given a battery size, motor outputs, weight or charging speed. We won't guess.
The fine print that matters here
Tesla's Australian Roadster page is live, but the flying features come with two notes. First, they're "available with the Rocket trim only, which is not available in all regions." Second, the Rocket is "not approved for public road use." Tesla hasn't said whether Australia is one of the regions that gets it. Even if it were, a car that leaves the ground would raise questions for road rules and aviation regulators.
For Australian buyers, the realistic choice is the Performance, a two-seat electric supercar. Its main tricks, fan downforce and steer-by-wire, are still new for road cars and will need to meet Australian design rules.
Price and timing: still unknown
Tesla hasn't published an Australian price or delivery date. Its reveal post points buyers to tesla.com/roadster to reserve. Before paying anything, check what the deposit is, whether it's refundable, and which configuration and region it covers. We'll update this story when Tesla confirms local pricing and timing.
Watch Tesla's reveal videos
Our take
The flying Rocket is the stunt that got attention, but the Performance is the car that matters for buyers here. The real test is whether Tesla turns these claims into a road-legal car, with an Australian price and a delivery date. Until then, any reservation is a bet on Tesla's timeline.