Of course the new Tesla Roadster can fly

If the Porsche is the classic supercar of the next decade, here's what head first into the future looks like...

Here we are then, at last: having been confirmed almost a decade ago and with a launch this month delayed because of weather, this is the new Tesla Roadster. Not far off 20 years since the first Tesla was launched - what a ride it’s been since then - there’s another dedicated two-seater in the lineup.

Well, sort of. The vibe appears much more like shrunken Cybertruck now than the more overtly sporty preview seen in the 2010s. But look at the notoriety of the pickup; even if by some miracle you didn’t know who Elon Musk was (what a nice existence must be), you know what a Cybertruck is. So Tesla will be hoping for more of the same for this Roadster, revealed here with familiar wheels and a similar brushed metal finish. Only now this is Ano White, inspired by aerospace tech (plenty more where that came from) that ‘provides UV and cryogenic protection when exposed to the harshness of space.’ Or a south of England heatwave, presumably. The window tint aims to evoke the copper coating of spacesuit visors, that sort of thing.

The space theme isn’t just a joke, either, as the Tesla Roadster can fly. Really. The introduction of cold gas thrusters with electric actuators can both propel it forward in a ‘Thrust’ spec car - meaning 60mph in a second, apparently - while a Rocket Roadster can send it skyward. How long for hasn’t been announced, nor how high or how far, but the Roadster is a real flying car. Or at least as close as we’ve come. Buyers will be invited to buy a Rocket, and obviously it doesn’t comply with any road homologation, but you can expect the chosen few to be chomping at the bit to be handing over their cash. Social media really isn’t ready for the Rocket Roadster. Thrust grade will be limited run but available to anybody who can afford it - a £250k deposit is needed, for starters.

For those regular folk who are paying whatever a LHD-only Roadster actually costs (£50k deposit for that one), there does seem to be a lot to be enthused by. Even without power, range, acceleration or suchlike. First is the introduction of active aerodynamics, with extendable spoilers keeping the Tesla steady at whatever barmy speeds it’s going to reach; 230mph is suggested, Musk is of course hinting at almost 400mph. There’s also a McMurtry-style fan to suck the Roadster to the floor; we know how devastatingly effective it’s been in the Speirling, so expect similar results here, driving upside down and all. Even without the rockets.

There’s more traditional sports car appeal, too, with magnesium, titanium and carbon used in the construction to save weight. An image of underneath appears to show inboard pushrod dampers. Track Mode lowers the Roadster and ‘transforms’ the suspension, akin to the Ford GT. The latest generation of steer-by-wire isn’t exactly old school appeal, though ‘incredible feedback in various road conditions’ is promised.

You’ll note there’s a lot of promises and assurances here, without very much by way of hard facts. But, to be frank, once a car has been made to fly, sorting the rest of it must be a cinch. Musk is said to have promised production of the Roadster for 2028, by which time there might even be additional SpaceX influence. Certainly this is as close as we’ve come in a very long time, and Musk does have a habit of seeing through his promises. As it’s been so poetically put by Tesla: ‘We already put Roadster in a rocket. Now we put a rocket in Roadster.’ Coming to a cars and coffee near you soon…

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PCaluta

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