New Tesla Roadster: Teaser hints at design changes
Image: Tesla (illustrative)
Ahead of its launch on October 1, Tesla released a short clip featuring the new Roadster. The upcoming battery-powered supercar was shown in a brief teaser at the end of the manufacturer’s event. According to this, its design has changed significantly at least in the front section as it moves toward production.
The clip posted on X shows the doors of a trailer opening first. Behind them, the front of a vehicle is visible, whose lighting pattern appears to differ significantly from that of the prototype (article image) introduced in 2017 for the second generation of roadsters. Particularly noticeable is a narrow, horizontally running light strip on the front. Afterwards, logos for Tesla as well as SpaceX, the aerospace company also led by CEO Elon Musk, appear on screen.
The short video ends with the message “See you next week.” In a few days, Tesla plans to officially unveil the Roadster. With this latest teaser, the U.S. company hints at changes to the new Roadster since the original prototype was introduced. The electric car announced in 2017 still had two clearly separate front headlights. In the new clip, however, the lighting design appears continuous, which aligns with the brand’s current design language.
See you next week pic.twitter.com/BT52bGVxFu
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 25, 2026
More cannot be reliably inferred from this short video, which is intentionally kept dark in tone. The second Roadster, following the original model produced until 2012 and Tesla’s first vehicle, was supposed to have hit the roads long ago. About nine years ago, the company announced an all-electric sports car with exceptionally high performance specs.
Tesla’s still available Roadster pages mention a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of around 2.1 seconds, a top speed of over 400 km/h, all-wheel drive, and a range of up to 1000 kilometers. However, these figures come from Tesla’s previous Roadster communications. The new clip does not indicate whether they remain unchanged for the upcoming version.
The display of the SpaceX logo draws attention to earlier statements about a highly performance-oriented version of the Roadster – there was talk of an optional “SpaceX Package” featuring around ten cryogenic engines designed to improve acceleration, top speed, braking performance, and cornering ability. This setup was said to enable the car to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in just 1.1 seconds.
Interested parties in Germany can also submit reservations for the new Roadster. To do this, they must pay an initial deposit of 4,000 euros and make a bank transfer of 39,000 euros within ten days. However, spectacular features like the nozzle system previously announced by Musk may face difficulties in obtaining EU approval for use on public roads.
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About the author
Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive industry and finance sector. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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