Overview
- Tesla showed a prototype at a SpaceX test site that drove upside down on a ramp, launched into the air, performed mid‑air rolls and returned to the ground during a livestreamed demo on Thursday.
- The car pairs SpaceX‑developed cold‑gas thrusters with a multi‑mode underbody fan and ultra‑high‑pressure air tanks to generate lift, rotation and extreme downforce for short airborne maneuvers.
- Tesla reported a 0–60 mph run in 0.81 seconds during the staged runs and posted three variants on its site — Performance, Thrust and an invite‑only Rocket — but those numbers are company claims and lack independent verification.
- The company reopened reservations with tiered, refundable deposits and set a target production start of 2028, while noting the Rocket or full‑flight variant is not approved for public road use.
- Regulators, safety experts and journalists say the demo does not show sustained flight capability and that questions about FAA and NHTSA oversight, occupant forces, legal use of thrusters and final pricing must be resolved before any production model is confirmed.