The Tesla Roadster prototype will probably be unveiled this year
By ForGeeks
The Tesla Roadster has long since become more of a legend than an actual car, but it looks like there’s still hope for its return. After years of silence and endless postponements, Ilon Musk has once again made resounding promises. According to him, a new demonstration of the supercar «is close» and will take place before the end of the year. This time, the Tesla chief said that the Roadster might be able to…«fly».
And this time, he said that the Roadster would be able to… «fly».
For those who haven’t been following the project’s history: the Tesla Roadster was originally the company’s first car, with production ending in 2012. In 2017, Tesla unexpectedly unveiled the next generation of the model, promising fantastic performance: acceleration to 97 km/h in 1.9 seconds, a top speed of over 400 km/h and a range of almost 1,000 km. The starting price was to be around 170,000 euros, and production was scheduled to begin in 2020.
But 2020 has passed — so have 2021, 2022 and 2023. The car never showed up. The promised specs were outdated, and the Roadster became a symbol of Musk’s intemperate promises. Nevertheless, there have been signs of activity recently, with Tesla beginning to look for engineers to work on a new «Roadster» battery, which hints at the project’s continuation.
In a recent three-hour podcast with Joe Rogan, Musk said the Roadster demo will be «unforgettable». He added that the car is equipped with «crazy technology» and is «crazier than anything James Bond ever owned». When Rogan asked if the car would actually be able to fly, Musk was evasive: «Wait until the demonstration. Are you sure it’s even a car?
The idea of a «flying» Roadster isn’t new. Back in 2017, Musk talked about a SpaceX options package that would include «cold air boosters» — small rocket engines to improve acceleration and downforce. At the time, he had already hinted that such systems could allow the car to «hover». Now he appears to be revisiting the idea.
Other experts, however, are skeptical of the claims. A «flying car» usually refers to a vehicle that can drive on the road and take to the air like an airplane or drone. The Tesla Roadster, even with the most advanced technology, is unlikely to be able to do that.
A more realistic scenario lies in one of the company’s patents. It describes a system that uses powerful fans to control airflow — creating a vacuum under the car to increase downforce. If those fans are switched to reverse mode, however, it could theoretically create enough lift to briefly «bounce» or «hover» the car at a low altitude.
So the «flying» Roadster is likely to turn out to be a spectacular stunt, not a revolution in transportation. Meanwhile, the auto world is left waiting: will the long-awaited demo happen by the end of the year? And if so, will we see a new stage in the development of electric cars or just a very expensive car that can slightly «bounce»? Judging by past delays, skepticism remains the best strategy for now.
