The reworked electric sports car performed mid-air flips using rocket-style thrusters, though Tesla gave no price and has announced no India plans.
Tesla has unveiled the production-intent version of its long-delayed Roadster, nearly nine years after first showing the car, with chief executive Elon Musk saying the electric sports car will enter production only in 2028.
The reveal took place on Thursday at SpaceX's rocket-testing facility in McGregor, Texas, and was livestreamed on X. A remotely operated demonstration car drove upside down along a curved ramp using a fan-driven suction system, then flipped in mid-air and landed using compressed-air thrusters developed with Musk's rocket company. No price was announced.
Tesla says the Roadster will be offered in three variants. The road-going Performance trim is claimed to accelerate from 0-60mph in under 1.6 seconds, while the invite-only, single-seat Rocket trim is claimed to manage the same sprint in under 0.59 seconds and briefly take to the air. Tesla also claims a range beyond 300 miles and a top speed above 230mph. None of these figures has been independently verified, and Tesla's own website states that the Rocket variant is not approved for use on public roads.
Several claims fall short of what Tesla promised at the car's original unveiling in November 2017, when it quoted a range of around 620 miles, a top speed exceeding 250mph, four seats and deliveries from 2020. The programme has since missed delivery and demonstration dates in nearly every subsequent year, including several announced for 2026 alone; the most recent, set for October 1, was postponed citing high winds.
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Reservations have reopened at a $50,000 deposit, unchanged from 2017. Reaction has been mixed: Electrek, which has tracked the project closely, noted that Tesla's stated range has roughly halved since the original promise, while analysts at Morningstar reportedly expect annual volumes of only around 2,000 units, a fraction of the 1.6 million vehicles Tesla delivered globally in 2025.
There is no indication the Roadster will reach Indian buyers soon. Tesla has not announced a launch timeline, pricing or availability for India, and its India website states that the car is offered only in left-hand-drive form — a configuration incompatible with India's right-hand-drive requirement.
