❯ Tesla unveils second-generation Roadster that flips through the air on compressed-air thrusters, due in 2028

A stunt revealAccording to The Drive, Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster on October 15 at SpaceX’s rocket test site in McGregor, Texas. “Attitude control thrusters” running on compressed air are built into the rear diffuser, and the demo showed the car going airborne and rolling. Tesla claims 0.81 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and plans deliveries in 2028.

Suction fan and three trimsAn active aero fan pulls the car toward the ground, and Musk says it can exceed 2G in lateral cornering. According to Torque News, there are three trims: the road-going Performance with a $50,000 deposit, the limited track-focused Thrust with rear thrusters and a $250,000 deposit, and the invite-only single-seat Rocket.

Legality unresolvedAsked whether it is street legal, Musk said he was not sure it would be legal in all jurisdictions, that it “depends on your street.” Tesla’s reservation page says the thruster flight package “is not approved for public road use,” and the 0.81-second figure has no third-party test yet.

▮ SIGNALOnce sports cars borrow rocket technology, what stands in the way becomes traffic law, which never imagined such a car.